Donald Trump has paid a fine of $9,000 imposed by Judge Juan Merchan due to his violation of a gag order in his criminal hush-money trial.
Trump’s violations on Truth Social involved attacks directed towards witnesses Michael Cohen and Stormy Daniels, as well as jurors. The judge, in response, ordered him to delete the offensive content and cautioned that further incidents may result in jail time.
According to a court clerk in Manhattan, Donald Trump made two separate payments to cover the fine. He paid $2,000 and $7,000, which were the maximum amounts allowed by the law, as noted by Judge Merchan.
In an April ruling, Merchan expressed his preference for the Court to impose a fine that aligns more closely with the wealth of the contemnor. He also acknowledged the possibility of jail as a necessary punishment in certain cases.
The reason behind Trump making the payment in two installments is not clear. Trump owns a majority stake in the Trump Media group, which is valued at over $6.5 billion dollars. In the past, he has utilized fundraising dollars to cover his legal expenses.
During the second gag order hearing on Thursday, prosecutors from the Manhattan District Attorney’s office presented evidence of four additional violations. However, the ruling on this matter is still pending from Judge Merchan.
Trump wasted no time in promptly settling the four-figure amount, despite his ongoing appeal to the state’s highest court regarding a $454 million civil judgment resulting from years of fraudulent activities.
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