Prosecutors want Trump held in contempt for 'disturbing' Truth Social post attacking prospective jurors
- Manhattan prosecutors in Trump's hush-money trial want more sanctions against him.
- They say he's posted "disturbing" things about prospective jurors on Truth Social.
Manhattan prosecutors in Donald Trump's criminal hush-money case asked the judge presiding over the case to sanction him for attacking prospective jurors in the trial, arguing the former president had repeatedly violated his gag order.
The latest salvo, from Assistant District Attorney Christopher Conroy in court Thursday morning, concerns a Truth Social post made by Trump on Wednesday, in which he quoted the Fox News host Jesse Watters.
"They are catching undercover Liberal Activists lying to the Judge in order to get on the Trump Jury," Trump posted on his feed, quoting Watters while applying his own letter capitalization.
Conroy told New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan on Thursday morning that it was "the most disturbing post" among seven occasions in which Trump had violated his gag order since Monday, the day jury selection began.
He asked Merchan to hold Trump in contempt and fine him, adding that the Manhattan district attorney's office was "still considering our options" for the full scope of sanctions to request from the judge. Being held in contempt of court could result in jail time for the former president.
Prosecutors in the Manhattan district attorney's office have accused Trump of falsifying business records to cover up hush-money payments to Stormy Daniels, keeping her quiet ahead of the 2016 election about an affair she says he had with her.
Merchan issued a gag order in the case forbidding Trump from making statements about trial jurors, witnesses, staff prosecutors, and family members of Merchan and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.
Prosecutors accused Trump of violating it on Monday with attacks on Daniels and Michael Cohen, Trump's former lawyer. Both are set to be key witnesses in the trial, which is expected to last six weeks in downtown Manhattan.
Merchan also castigated Trump on Tuesday, saying the former president was "muttering" and being "audible" while a prospective juror answered questions aimed at determining her ability to be impartial.
"I will not have any jurors intimidated in this courtroom," the judge said. "I want to make that crystal clear."
On Thursday, Conroy said Trump violated the gag order seven more times, with attacks on Cohen on social media and on his campaign website.
Emil Bove, one of Trump's attorneys, said that reposting — which he falsely said Trump did with the Watters quote, even though it was not a repost — wasn't covered by Merchan's gag order.
Bove also argued that the last rounds of Trump's criticism against Cohen were fair game because they were "political in nature," countering Cohen "attacking his candidacy."
Merchan previously scheduled a hearing for next Tuesday to determine whether Trump violated his gag order. He said he would consider Conroy's new allegations at that time.
"We'll sort this out at the hearing," he said.