The trial of former President Donald Trump for purportedly falsifying business records is back underway in Manhattan. Before calling witness Gary Farro, a finance executive who assisted former Trump attorney Michael Cohen with his banking, back to the stand, Judge Juan Merchan issued a couple of significant rulings.
First, regarding Trump’s request that he be excused from trial on May 17 to attend the high school graduation of his youngest son, Barron, Merchan agreed.
“I don’t think the May 17 date is a problem,” Merchan said, noting that a jury was picked quickly and things have been moving.
However, Merchan followed that order up with a sooner-than-expected ruling on the gag order violations raised by the prosecution. Finding that Trump violated the order in nine of the 10 instances raised by the prosecution, Merchan fined him $9,000 ($1,000 for each violation) and ordered that he remove the offending posts. Further, he warned Trump that continued violations of the gag order could result in jail time.
Trump must remove the seven “offending posts” from Truth Social and the two “offending posts” from his campaign website by 2:15 p.m. today.
According to the order, “THEREFORE, Defendant is hereby warned that the Court will not tolerate continued willful violations of its lawful orders and that if necessary and appropriate under the circumstances, it will impose an incarceratory punishment.”
According to CNN’s reporter in the courtroom, Trump did not react visibly to the judge’s ruling.
Update: ABC News has a rundown of the alleged violations (including four additional violations raised by the prosecution on Thursday). Following is a small sampling of the purported violations:
‘Thank you to Michael Avenatti’
In an Apr. 10 post on TruthSocial, Trump thanked convicted attorney Michael Avenatti for speaking out against Trump’s gag order in a social media post that slammed adult film actress Stormy Daniels and his former attorney Michael Cohen, both potential witnesses. In Dec. 2022, Avenatti was sentenced to 14 years in prison for defrauding Daniels.
“We can’t be hypocrites when it comes to the 1st Amendment,” Avenatti wrote. “It is outrageous that Cohen and Daniels can do countless TV interviews, post on social, & make $$ on bogus documentaries – all by talking shit about Trump – but he’s gagged and threatened with jail if he responds.”
“Thank you to Michael Avenatti,” Trump posted in response, “for revealing the truth about two sleaze bags who have, with their lies and misrepresentations, cost our Country dearly!”
…
Attacking ‘disgraced attorney and felon’ Cohen
Trump blasted his former lawyer in an Apr. 13 TruthSocial post, which also attacked Mark Pomerantz, the former prosecutor who previously led the investigation into Trump.
“Has Mark POMERANTZ been prosecuted for his terrible acts in and out of the D.A.’s Office. Has disgraced attorney and felon Michael Cohen been prosecuted for LYING?” Trump wrote. “Only TRUMP people get prosecuted by this Judge and these thugs! A dark day for our Country. MAGA2024!!!”
RedState is providing live updates of the trial as it continues.
