New York Judge Arthur F. Engoron on Friday threatened to punish Donald Trump with prison. The reason is the former president’s failure to comply with the order of silence. It was imposed on the billionaire after he posted an entry on social media in which he insulted a court official, Reuters reports. “This is unfortunate and I apologize on behalf of my client,” Trump’s lawyer said.
Donald Trump recently shared on social media a photo published by the clerk of the New York state court where the former president’s trial is taking place. In the photo, a court clerk poses with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York. Retweeting the post, Trump called the court secretary “Schumer’s girlfriend.”
During a hearing on October 3, the second day of the trial, Judge Arthur Engoron ordered Trump to delete the post and imposed a silence order on him.
READ MORE: Donald Trump punished for disregarding a court order. The former president has to pay a fine
Donald Trump in court in New York (October 18)PAP/EPA/SARAH YENESEL
– I ordered him to immediately delete the entry, and he assured that he deleted it – said the judge, quoted by NBC News. – Despite my order, I learned that the offensive post was never removed from the website. This constitutes a flagrant violation of the order of silence. I made it clear that failure to comply would result in serious sanctions, he said.
Trump’s lawyer Christopjer Kise said that after the judge’s ruling, the post was removed from Truth Social, the former president’s social network. He argued that his client never made any comments about court staff again. But he added that “it appears no one has removed the post from the Trump campaign website.” “It’s unfortunate and I apologize on behalf of my client,” he said.
Donald Trump’s trial
New York Attorney General Letitia James is calling for charges against Donald Trump and his sons Donald Jr. and Eric a financial penalty of $250 million, a permanent ban running a business in New York and a five-year ban on conducting commercial real estate activities against Trump and his organization.
READ MORE: Trump’s next trial has started and he allegedly gained over $100 million thanks to the lie
Donald Trump, as James stated, obtained a benefit of over $100 million as a result of lying about the value of his real estate.
Donald Trump in courtJUSTIN LANE/PAP/EPA
Prosecutor James said her office is ready to prove its case. “The law is both powerful and fragile,” she said. “No matter how much money you think you may have, no one is above the law,” she added.
Trump’s lawyer, Christopher Kise, said in his opening statement that Trump’s finances were completely legal. – He earned a fortune by making the right decisions regarding real estate investments – he argued. “There was no intent to cheat, no law broken, no default, no unjust gain or loss,” he added.
“The trial may lead to the collapse of Trump’s business empire as he tries to regain the presidency in 2024,” Reuters comments.
Main photo source: PAP/EPA/SARAH YENESEL