A New York judge has fined former US President Donald Trump $5,000 (about 4,700 euros) for defaming a court official. For future violations, Trump could even face jail time if he doesn’t follow the rules.
Judge Arthur Engoron, who is in charge of the fraud trial involving Trump’s assets, imposed the sentence Friday for violating his order not to comment publicly on court personnel. He threatened jail time for future violations.
“Personal attacks unacceptable”
In early October, the ex-president published a photo of one of the judge’s associates on his online platform Truth Social and described her as a “friend” of Senate Democratic Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. Engoron subsequently banned anyone involved in the trial from publicly commenting on its employees: “Personal attacks on members of my court staff are unacceptable.”
Although the post was quickly removed from Truth Social, it remained on Trump’s campaign website. The judge now stated that he “learned last night that the offending message had never been removed from the DonaldJTrump.com website and had in fact remained on that site for seventeen days.” The message was ultimately only removed after an email from the court. Attorney Chris Kise argued during a hearing that it was a mistake. “I apologize on behalf of my client,” she said.
The civil trial against Trump in New York began in early October. New York Attorney General Letitia James accuses the ex-president and entrepreneur of inflating the assets of his real estate empire over the years to get better terms on loans and insurance. Judge Engoron ruled before the trial began that Trump had overestimated the assets and had therefore committed “fraud”.
Demanded a $250 million fine
The civil case therefore mainly focuses on the question of how high the sentence will be against Trump and his sons Donald Trump Junior and Eric Trump. James has demanded a fine of $250 million, among other things.
Trump is not threatened with prison time. He has denied all allegations and described them as politically motivated. The Republican, who plans to run again in the 2024 presidential election, has also repeatedly attacked Judge Engoron and Attorney General James.
In addition to the civil case alleging fraud in New York, Trump has been charged in four criminal cases. Two charges relate to the right-wing populist’s attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election to remain in power.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
