New York judge fines Trump for ‘blatant violation’ of gag order

Former President Donald Trump received a $5,000 fine on Friday for violating a gag order in the civil fraud case against him in New York, and the judge in the case warned Trump could be imprisoned for any future violations.

New York Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron called the fine “nominal,” according to a court filing.

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He noted that Trump had received “ample warning” about possible penalties of violating the order and that the court was “way beyond the ‘warning’ stage.”

“Make no mistake: future violations, whether intentional or unintentional, will subject the violator to far more severe sanctions,” Engoron wrote, per the filing, noting that prison was one possible punishment.

The fine came after Engoron lectured Trump’s attorneys during the trial on Friday about a post on Trump’s campaign website attacking Engoron’s clerk, according to the Messenger.

Engoron issued on Oct. 3 a narrow gag order in the case in response to Trump targeting clerk Allison Greenfield on his social media platform Truth Social.

Trump had posted a photo of Greenfield and a link to her Instagram account, baselessly referring to her as Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s (D-NY) girlfriend.

“Schumer’s girlfriend, Alison R. Greenfield [sic], is running this case against me. How disgraceful!” Trump wrote in the now-deleted post. “This case should be dismissed immediately!!”

The fine on Friday came after MeidasTouch revealed Trump, the Republican presidential front-runner, had also posted the same remarks about Greenfield on his main campaign website, DonaldJTrump.com, and had not abided by the gag order and removed the post.

Engoron told Trump’s attorneys the post, which he said was online for “the past 17 days” before its removal late Thursday night, was a “blatant violation” of the order, according to the Messenger.

Trump’s attorney countered that Trump’s website postings were made in sync with Trump’s social media and that the comment about Greenfield on the website was, therefore, “inadvertent.”

Engoron appeared furious and said he would take the issue “under advisement.”

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The civil trial, which is expected to last through December, centers on allegations Trump grossly overstated his net worth for years.

Trump has already been found liable for some of those allegations, and the trial is, in part, expected to determine if New York Attorney General Letitia James will receive damages in the case. James is seeking $250 million.