Trump fined $9,000, jailed after violating judge’s order in Stormy Daniels case

The judge overseeing Donald Trump’s trial over an alleged illegal payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels fined the former US president on Tuesday, accusing him of repeatedly violating a court order requiring him not to make statements about witnesses and jurors. writes Reuters.

A judge ruled on Tuesday that Donald Trump violated the gag order nine times, fining him a total of $9,000. He also warned that Trump could be jailed if he continued to violate the order.

The magistrate lamented the fact that the amount of the fine is limited by law, noting that in the present case, the person concerned “can easily afford such a fine”.

In his ruling, he wrote that in such cases it would be preferable if he could impose “a fine more proportionate to the wealth” of the fined person.

“As this Court is not vested with such a prerogative, it must therefore consider whether in some cases imprisonment may be a necessary punishment,” the judge concluded.

Judge Juan Merchan’s decision came before the resumption of hearings on the merits in the criminal case targeting Trump.

Tuesday is set to include testimony from a banker familiar with accounts involved in the former US president’s alleged plan to sway the 2016 election by covering up a sex scandal.

Trump, the 2024 Republican presidential candidate, is accused of falsifying business records to hide a $130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels in exchange for her silence about a sexual relationship she said she had with Trump in 2006.

Trump has pleaded not guilty and denied having sex with Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford.

The historic criminal trial is the first involving a former US president and began on April 22.

Banker Garry Farro, who is not charged with wrongdoing in the case, testified Friday about financial records filed by Michael Cohen, Trump’s former lawyer, who prosecutors say helped carry out the scheme.

Trump is required to attend the trial, saying he should actually be on the campaign trail ahead of his rematch with Democratic President Joe Biden in the Nov. 5 election.

The Stormy Daniels case is one of four cases against Trump, but the only one that could result in a verdict before the election.