In an atmosphere of mounting scrutiny and legal maneuvering, the former President Donald Trump’s adherence to a court-imposed gag order has come into question. Prosecutors have accused Trump of willfully violating the order set by Judge Juan Merchan, which prohibits public attacks on witnesses and jurors involved in his ongoing hush money trial. “The purpose of this hearing is to find out whether the defendant Mr. Trump should be held in contempt for one or all of these violations,” stated Judge Merchan.
The debate over the gag order erupted in court, notably ahead of key witness testimony from former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker, who described a “catch and kill” arrangement he allegedly engaged in with Trump and Michael Cohen. Amidst the unfolding legal drama, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office has pushed for Trump to be held in criminal contempt, suggesting Trump’s social media posts on his platform, Truth Social, were in direct violation of the gag order. They are seeking the maximum fine of $1,000 for each of the 10 identified posts, and a warning that future violations could lead to jail time.
Prosecutor Chris Conroy argued, “His disobedience of the order is willful, it’s intentional. He knows what he’s not allowed to do and he does it anyway.” Despite the defense’s insistence that there was no willful violation and that Trump was merely responding to political attacks, the judge’s patience seemed to wane with the defense’s arguments.
In a tense exchange, Trump’s attorney Todd Blanche struggled to provide specific examples when pressed by the judge on what attacks Trump was responding to. “You’re losing all credibility with the court,” Merchan told Blanche after questioning the reposts Trump made and their compliance with the gag order. Blanche maintained, “This gag order, we are trying to comply with it. President Trump is being very careful to comply with your order.”
The court has yet to issue a definitive ruling on the matter, with Merchan reserving his decision to a later time. Trump’s own behavior in court during the exchange — with eyes closed for portions — and Trump has also referenced former Manhattan prosecutor Mark Pomerantz. According to prosecutor Chris Conroy said Trump has also tried to make Pomerantz “somehow at issue in this case.”
Relevant articles:
– Judge skewers Trump defense’s ‘credibility’ in gag order hearing ahead of key witness testimony, NBC News, 04/24/2024
– Judge says he is reserving decision on the gag order violations, CNN, Tue, 23 Apr 2024 18:37:00 GMT
– Trump’s lawyer may be losing his most valuable asset: Credibility in the courtroom, MSNBC, Tue, 23 Apr 2024 16:49:30 GMT
– Trump trial: David Pecker describes secret catch, ABC News, Tue, 23 Apr 2024 15:13:06 GMT
– Judge in Trump hush money case weighs if he violated gag order, NewsNation Now, Tue, 23 Apr 2024 17:16:33 GMT