The fourth week of Donald Trump’s criminal trial in New York got underway Monday with the judge in the case finding the defendant in contempt of court for the 10th time.
Judge Juan Merchan imposed another $1,000 fine for another violation of his gag order, which limits what Trump can say about witnesses and others involved in the case. He said the fines are not having the intended deterrent effect, and said he could impose stiffer penalties in the future.
“Going forward, this court will have to consider a jail sanction if it is recommended,” Merchan said from the bench. “Mr. Trump, the last thing I want to do is put you in jail. You are a former president of the United States and possibly the next one as well.”
Merchan found that Trump violated the order in an April 22 interview when he commented on the political makeup of the jury. He said the comments “not only called into question the integrity, and therefore the legitimacy of these proceedings, but again raised the specter of fear for the safety of the jurors and of their loved ones.”
The judge’s contempt decision came before prosecutors called their next witness to the stand: Jeffrey McConney, the Trump Organization’s retired controller.
Hope Hicks, Trump’s top communications aide from 2015 to early 2018, testified on Friday about how she and others in Trump’s orbit handled revelations about the “hush money” payments made to two women before the election.
Trump is charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records related to reimbursements to his former lawyer Michael Cohen, who paid $130,000 to Stormy Daniels in exchange for her silence about allegations of a sexual encounter with Trump. He has pleaded not guilty and denies having sex with Daniels.
