Former President Donald Trump was recently hit with a $5,000 penalty by Judge Arthur Engoron after an alleged breach of a gag order associated with Trump's ongoing civil fraud trial in New York. Engoron expressed dissatisfaction when he discovered that Trump did not adhere to the directive to erase a negative comment concerning the judge's law clerk from social media.
Engoron highlighted that Trump had previously acknowledged removing the post in question, but it persisted on Trump's 2024 campaign website for over two weeks. The judge initiated the partial gag order at the beginning of October.
Chris Kise, representing Trump, explained that the oversight seemed genuinely inadvertent. "While the post was promptly deleted from Truth Social upon the court's request, regrettably, it seems it wasn't removed from the campaign website. We sincerely apologize for this oversight," Kise stated.
Previous comments made by Trump hinted at a speculated inappropriate connection between the clerk and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York. Schumer's representative, Allison Biasotti, refuted these insinuations, firmly stating that Schumer has no acquaintance with the clerk.
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| Former President Donald J. Trump File Photo |
The New York trial, presided over by Judge Engoron, is rooted in allegations from New York Attorney General Letitia James. The claims suggest that Trump and his two adult sons manipulated Trump's net worth to secure advantageous loan terms. Engoron has indicated that there were manipulations in asset values to benefit Trump. The repercussions sought by the attorney general encompass approximately $250 million in penalties and potential restrictions on Trump's business endeavors in New York.