Prosecutors Will Push for Trump to Be Held in Contempt for Violating Gag Order
Former President Donald Trump’s social media posts that continue to attack witnesses and members of the court will soon be added into evidence as District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office has indicated it will push the court to hold the former president in contempt for violating the gag order barring those attacks.
MSNBC legal analyst Lisa Rubin, who is inside the New York courthouse, tweeted on Monday morning, “While arguing for the admission of tweets and social media posts evocative of Trump’s pressure campaign on witnesses, the DA’s office drops this: ‘Shortly, we will be seeking an order to show cause why Defendant should not be held in contempt’ for violating the gag order.”
Rubin later reported on the specifics of what Bragg’s office was asking the judge. “Manhattan DA’s office asks court to impose a $1k sanction for each of 3 prior posts, order him to take them down, and warn him that further violations will result in jail time. DA notes a 9:12 am post today, potentially made inside the courthouse, also violates the order,” Rubin added just before the courtroom adjourned for lunch.
As Trump’s trial for allegedly falsifying business documents related to hush money payments to porn star Stormy Daniels gets underway, the question of Trump’s attacks on the judge and his former fixer, Michael Cohen, hangs over the proceedings.
MSNBC analyst Caroline Polisi, a defense attorney, explained the difficult position Judge Juan Merchan is currently in.
“Yeah and interesting that he did it over the weekend,” Polisis began, referring to Trump’s social media posts.
“You know, on the actual eve of trial, he had to know that that was going to take up some time this morning because obviously they would need to address this issue. The judge is in a tough spot here. No judge wants to be that, you know, person. That is the one to throw, former President Trump in jail for criminal contempt. I personally just don’t see that happening. But, the judge’s hands may be tied here. You know, we’ve seen previous judges issue these sort of escalating, sanctions, monetary sanctions,” she continued as an anchor pressed her on exactly what consequences Trump could face for violating the gag order.
“So the first is, you know, a tongue lashing, which by any other standard, any defendant would, you know, sort of shape up or ship out, and then you would have monetary sanctions and. Yeah, there is an option of, of putting him in jail if there’s no other recourse. He may be the one defendant that, you know, you just can’t get to shut up. Besides, you know, literally prying his phone away from him. But, you know, these are really thorny issues, and I don’t envy Judge Merchan’s position. We will be watching to see how he handles this today,” Polisis concluded.
Trump’s attacks on the judges and courtroom staff related to his various trials has raised eyebrows and resulted in an avalanche of threats and harassment. Trump has attacked the daughter of the judge in his current trial and attacked the wife of the judge in his civil fraud trial, as well as the court’s clerk — going so far as to share a link to the clerk’s personal Instagram account to his social media. Defendants are barred in courtrooms across the country from attacking the court staff or trying to intimidate proceedings with attacks on witnesses, jurors, or judges.
This is a developing story and has been updated.
