Trump convicted of contempt, threatened with “jail” at his trial in New York – 04/30/2024 11:36 pm

Donald Trump was fined $9,000 on Tuesday for publicly assaulting witnesses and a judge on the sidelines of a criminal trial in New York, where the judge threatened to jail him if he did it again.

Donald Trump “is warned that the court will not tolerate willful violations of its orders (…) if necessary and appropriate, it will be punishable by imprisonment,” writes Judge Juan Merchan in his ruling. Discussions.

A magistrate fined the former US president $1,000 for each of the nine violations, the maximum allowed by law, as he appeared in court for the third week of his trial. According to the judge's order, the attacks were removed from the Truth social network and Donald Trump's campaign website.

Prosecutors have asked Donald Trump to be granted permission since his trial began for repeatedly violating a restraining order against attacking key witnesses in the case, such as Michael Cohen and former porn star Stormy Daniels, or jurors. He notes that they are not impartial.

Even before the judge ruled on these first violations, prosecutors raised new ones. After a break in Wednesday's hearings, they will be examined Thursday, among other potential sanctions at stake for the 2024 Republican presidential candidate, who defied a judge to jail him during a meeting.

– “Cock” –

Leaving the courtroom on Tuesday, Donald Trump once again condemned the “absolutely unconstitutional gag order” that the judge defends so that witnesses and jurors are not intimidated and feel under pressure.

Donald Trump, 77, the first former president in U.S. history to face a criminal trial, faces a sentence, in theory, up to a prison term in the case, as he is one of four people charged. It will be decided before the presidential election to be held on November 5.

In the case, he is charged with 34 counts of falsifying accounting documents to cover up payments to cover up a potential sex scandal in the 2016 presidential campaign that narrowly won against Hillary Clinton.

In 2006, Stormy Daniels was awarded $130,000 to remain silent about an alleged sexual relationship with him in 2006, when he was already married. A relationship he denies. The prosecution talks of a “conspiracy” to “derail” what the security forces see as the normal functioning of electoral democracy.

On Tuesday, the parade of witnesses continued, a gallery of colorful middlemen revealing behind-the-scenes accounts of these transactions in Donald Trump's entourage, with gossipy stories sold unpublished.

Last week, David Becker, the former boss of the American tabloid “The National Enquirer,” put himself in the service of the Trump campaign in 2016 by buying exclusive rights to two other potentially scandalous testimonials, including that one. A model, Karen McDougal, also claimed she had an affair with the billionaire.

– “Thunder” –

Before jurors, her story was wrapped up Tuesday by Karen McDougal's attorney, Keith Davidson, who also represented Stormy Daniels' interests at the time.

“I have a great story about Trump,” the lawyer recalled saying. “Did he cheat on Melania?” replied a tabloid reporter. After this first “deal,” Donald Trump's campaign would be rocked by an old videotape aired on October 7, 2016, where he brags in crude terms about “grabbing” women by the butt.

“Trump has been robbed,” Keith Davidson said. According to him, the value of Stormy Daniels' testimony is a “crescendo” because Donald Trump will want to avoid a new scandal.

This time, his personal attorney, Michael Cohen, is negotiating the transaction. According to Keith Davidson, “Stormy Daniels and Donald Trump” are both bound by the deal.

The settlement was made by Michael Cohen, who was repaid in 2017 by the Trump Organization, Donald Trump's business group. These costs were recorded as “legal costs” and therefore were sued for accounting errors.

Michael Cohen, Stormy Daniels – real name Stephanie Clifford – but other leading witnesses are expected, including Steve Bannon, Donald Trump's former political strategist or Hope Hicks, his former communications director at the White House.