Posted on 10/20/23
| News Source: USA Today
Donald Trump was fined $5,000 Friday by the judge his New York civil trial because a social media post disparaging one of his staffers remained visible for weeks.
New York Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron had ordered Trump on Oct. 3 not to criticize his staff and to delete the post that showed his clerk, Allison Greenfield, with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and accused her of being his girlfriend. But the post remained visible for weeks.
"Make no mistake: future violations, whether intentional or unintentional, will subject the violator to far more severe sanctions, which may include, but are not limited to, steeper financial penalties, holding Donald Trump in contempt of court, and possibly imprisoning him," Engoron said.
The dispute illustrated how judges could potentially penalize Trump even before verdicts in the various civil and criminal cases pending against him. U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan has also ordered Trump not to criticize prosecutors, court staff or witnesses in his federal trial on charges he conspired to overturn the 2020 election.
Trump asked Chutkan on Friday to suspend her order while he appeals her decision.
"No Court in American history has imposed a gag order on a criminal defendant who is campaigning for public office − least of all, on the leading candidate for President of the United States," Trump's lawyers said in the filing.
Engoron called Truth Social’s retention of the post a “blatant violation” of his limited gag order.
“Incendiary untruths can and have led to serious physical harm,” Engoron said. “I will now allow the defendant to explain why this should not end up with serious sanctions or I could possibly imprison him.”