Judge Juan Merchan has found Donald Trump in contempt, again, for violating a gag order, and warned the former president that he will consider jail time for any subsequent infraction.
Trump was fined $9,000 last week, $1,000 for each of nine previous violations. Merchan said:
“Mr Trump, as you know, the prosecution has filed three separate motions to find you in criminal contempt. It appears that the $1,000 fines are not a deterrent.”
“You are the former president of the United States and possibly the next president as well… but at the end of the day, I have a job to do and part of that job is to protect the dignity of the judicial system.”
Merchan said Trump’s actions “constitute a direct attack on the rule of law [and] I cannot allow that to continue”:
“So as much as I do not want to impose a jail sanction… I want you to understand that I will, if necessary, and appropriate.”
Trump has posted repeated attacks to his Truth Social site on the jury and witnesses such as his former attorney and fixer Michael Cohen. The warning from Merchan is notable because prosecutors have not yet asked for a jail sanction.
Read more at theguardian.com
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