Former President Donald Trump once again found himself in the crosshairs of a legal battle, this time risking violation of a gag order in his New York fraud trial. The incident occurred when he criticized the presiding judge and New York Attorney General Letitia James in a series of posts on Truth Social on a Thursday morning.
The former president’s comments came shortly after he was fined $10,000 for allegedly violating the gag order. Despite the fine, Trump remained steadfast in his defense, arguing that the case against him was biased and unjust. He claimed that Judge Arthur Engoron, whom he referred to as a ‘radical left’ judge, had already deemed him guilty before the trial had even begun.
Judge Arthur Engoron has now fined Donald Trump a total of $15,000. Yesterday Trump gave a testimony about the gag order and the Judge decided immediately it was “hollow and untrue” and slapped down the fine.
Afterwards, he also threatened Trump with imprisonment. This Judge… pic.twitter.com/eYi0i2M96R
— 🇺🇸Travis🇺🇸 (@Travis_in_Flint) October 27, 2023
In a dramatic turn of events, Trump abruptly left the courtroom after being fined for a second time for violating the gag order. This happened just moments after one of his lawyers finished questioning Michael Cohen, Trump’s former lawyer turned adversary. Cohen testified that Trump did not instruct him to inflate the value of his properties, contradicting his earlier testimony.
This admission led defense attorney Clifford Robert to request a directed verdict, arguing that Cohen’s statement should be grounds for dismissal. However, Judge Arthur Engoron denied the request, stating that there was ample evidence in the case. He also mentioned that he did not consider Cohen a key witness.
NEW: In a breathless, 32-page motion filed yesterday, Special Counsel Jack Smith asks Judge Chutkan to lift her own stay on gag order against Trump AND to modify his conditions of release to set up a tighter contempt trap against Trump.
These people are, indeed, deranged. pic.twitter.com/jeQ7jOdCEy
— Julie Kelly 🇺🇸 (@julie_kelly2) October 26, 2023
Despite the ongoing legal proceedings, Trump continued to voice his criticisms. He accused Judge Engoron and Attorney General James of refusing to accept his victory in the Appeals Court and called the case a disgrace to the New York legal system. He further claimed that the case was rigged against him.
Trump’s lawyers requested the judge to reconsider the $10,000 fine imposed on him for violating the gag order. While the judge did reconsider, he ultimately decided to keep the fine in place. This decision further fueled Trump’s belief that the legal proceedings were biased against him.
In conclusion, the ongoing legal battle involving former President Trump continues to be a contentious issue. Despite facing potential violations of a gag order and hefty fines, Trump remains unyielding in his defense and criticism of the legal system.
His actions and statements reflect his firm belief in his innocence and his determination to fight against what he perceives as an unjust legal process.
