Trump fined $10,000 for violating gag order, speaks out.
Former President Trump’s Posts on Truth Social
Former President Donald Trump took to Truth Social to express his thoughts on the judge and prosecutor following the recent trial. The trial saw witness Michael Cohen backtrack on his testimony against President Trump, and the federal judge fined Trump $10,000 for violating a gag order.
In a Thursday morning post, Trump wrote, “The Judge in the New York State A.G. case refuses to accept the overturning of his decisions by the Appeals Court. This is a first in the history of the State! HE HAS GONE CRAZY IN HIS HATRED OF ‘TRUMP.'”
“Also, their ‘STAR’ witness just admitted his statements were all a big lie. He broke down in court. The Radical Left Judge said he doesn’t care. He is trying to protect RACIST A.G. Letitia James, who has no case, lost the appeal, but has a tyrannical and unhinged Trump Hating Judge. She campaigned for A.G. on, ‘I Will Get Trump,’ long before she knew anything about me. This is Judicial Misconduct, coupled with Prosecutorial Misconduct, and somebody from the State of New York must step in and stop this Complete & Total Miscarriage of Justice!”
‘Alongside’
“This judge is a very partisan judge with a person who is very partisan sitting alongside him–perhaps even much more partisan than he is,” Trump remarked to reporters on Wednesday.
New York Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron frequently deliberates with his principal law clerk Allison Greenfield, who sits beside him on the bench.
After President Trump’s now-deleted Oct. 3 post, which shared a photo of Greenfield and Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), prompted the gag order against remarks about court staff, the judge read the remarks in the courtroom.
President Trump’s attorney, Chris Kise, clarified that the comments were directed at Michael Cohen, who was sitting next to the judge in the witness stand.
Shortly after, the judge called a hearing on the matter and put President Trump on the witness stand, where he confirmed that he was referring to Cohen in those comments.
Justice Engoron found the witness “not credible” and imposed a $10,000 fine for violating the gag order.
In his written order filed on Thursday, the judge stated, “I find this testimony rings hollow and untrue.”
The judge explained that the witness box is separated from the judge’s bench by a wooden barrier, while his principal law clerk sits right next to him, supporting his use of the term “alongside.”
“Furthermore, Donald Trump’s past public statements clearly identify Michael Cohen by name or a derogatory name, leaving no ambiguity about his references,” the judge wrote. “Using imprecise language as an excuse to create plausible ambiguity about whether the defendant violated this Court’s unequivocal gag order is not a defense.”
In the courtroom, the judge expressed skepticism towards the defense, noting that President Trump’s team focused on attacking Cohen’s “dishonesty” rather than his partisanship.
Following the $10,000 fine, President Trump’s attorneys pointed out that Greenfield had a significant influence on the proceedings, frequently conferring with the judge and passing him notes. Attorney Alina Habba mentioned that she was displeased with Greenfield’s dismissive behavior during witness questioning.
Throughout the trial, President Trump continued to post about the judge and Attorney General Letitia James, accusing them of harboring hatred towards him and claiming the trial was unfair.
On Thursday afternoon, he argued that the case should have been dismissed, accusing the judge of disregarding decisions from the appeals court and refusing to dismiss the case after Cohen’s testimony.
The appeals court had previously halted Justice Engoron’s order to dissolve the Trump Organization and its related limited liability companies (LLCs) and set a statute of limitations on the case. However, the judge allowed evidence and arguments regarding documents within the statute of limitations, provided they were linked to relevant issues.
Michael Cohen, once President Trump’s personal attorney but now a critic, testified during the trial on Tuesday and Wednesday.
On Tuesday, he claimed that President Trump instructed him to manipulate numbers to meet a desired net worth. However, on Wednesday morning, when presented with a 2019 testimony transcript contradicting his claim, he admitted to lying to the congressional committee. Later that afternoon, he reversed his statement and stood by his 2019 answer, stating he could not recall President Trump ever asking him to inflate numbers.
President Trump’s legal team repeatedly requested the case be dismissed due to Cohen’s discredited testimony, but the judge rejected those arguments, emphasizing that Cohen was not the key witness and that there was other evidence to consider.
What is the significance of Truth Social as a platform in shaping public opinion and political discourse, especially in relation to Trump’s involvement
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