Judge in New York fraud trial threatens Trump with 'possible imprisonment' for violating gag order
- The judge in Trump's fraud trial angrily noted a "blatant violation" of his gag order banning attacks on his legal staff.
- An offending post remained on Trump's campaign site after the order; the defense called it "truly inadvertent."
The judge in Donald Trump's New York fraud trial angrily threatened the former president with a contempt ruling, serious financial penalties, and "possible imprisonment" in court on Friday morning, expressing his displeasure over an "incendiary" campaign post he said violates his gag order.
Trump's lead defense lawyer in the ongoing trial argued in response that the post, which disparaged New York Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron's principal law clerk, had been left up on the campaign website in a "truly inadvertent" mistake that had nothing to do with the former president.
But Engoron, who did not immediately issue any penalties for the violation, expressed dissatisfaction with the Trump lawyer's explanation.
"Donald Trump is still responsible for the large machine," of his campaign, Engoron said, adding, "even if it is a large machine."
In raising the threat of harsh penalties, Engoron, whose law clerk sat at his side, began by describing the history and context behind the gag order and the post, which had remained on the Trump campaign site until it was finally taken down on Thursday night.
On October 3, "defendant Donald Trump posted an untrue, disparaging and personally offensive post about my principal law clerk," Engoron began.
The post used a photo from a campaign event at which Greenfield had posed at Schumer's side, and accused her of "running this case against me."
The post was immediately taken down from Truth Social on his demand, Engoron said, noting that Trump promised "they would not engage in similar actions in the future." Engoron barred Trump from posting, emailing, or making any statements that could be seen as "personal attacks on members of my staff."
"Despite this clear order, last night I learned that the subject offending post was never removed from the website" of Trump's campaign, Engoron continued, noting that it was only removed "last night."
Such posts are extremely dangerous "in the current incendiary atmosphere," Engoron said. Then he asked Trump's attorneys "why this Blatant violation of the gag order should not result in serious financial penalties holding the defendant in contempt and possible imprisonment."
Lead defense lawyer Christopher Kise spoke up on Trump's behalf, calling the lingering campaign-site post a "truly inadvertent" mistake.
"The Truth post was taken down" immediately, Kise noted, and his client "has abided by the order completely." The defense only learned last night that the post remained "in the campaign website in the back pages."
Lawyers for the attorney general's office, whose fraud trial against Trump and his company is in its third week, did not weigh in on the record concerning possible sanctions. The judge did not indicate when he would rule.
Just before noon, Kise, who had been asked to provide audience metrics for the offending post, came back with some numbers.
Between October 3, when the gag order was issued, and October 19, when it was taken down, there were 114 million visitors to the Trump campaign website – but only 3,701 people clicked on the post itself.
This is a developing story please check back for new details.