(TheRedWire.com) – In recent developments concerning the civil fraud case against former President Trump in New York, the presiding judge, Arthur Engoron, pointed out that Trump appeared to breach a previously established gag order. This directive had been put in place earlier in the month to prevent comments about the court’s staff.
Judge Engoron referred to an Associated Press article which quoted Trump as describing him as an “extremely biased judge,” accompanied by an individual who is “even more biased.” Engoron interpreted this as an indirect comment on his chief law clerk, who sits adjacent to him in the courtroom.
Engoron emphasized his commitment to protecting his staff, stating, “My staff’s safety is of utmost importance to me, and that’s how it should be.”
The initial gag order had been issued after Trump, through his Truth Social account, labeled the clerk as Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s “significant other,” revealing personal details about her. At the judge’s directive, this post was subsequently removed from Truth Social.
However, Trump faced a $5,000 fine last week because the contentious post remained on his campaign website 17 days after it was supposed to have been deleted. Chris Kise, Trump’s attorney, attributed this oversight to the complexities of managing a sprawling presidential campaign, insisting it was unintentional.
Engoron, while acknowledging that the lingering post could have been inadvertent, expressed concerns about further violations, posing the question, “Why shouldn’t there be significant repercussions for this flagrant and perilous defiance of an explicit court instruction?”
In response, Kise argued that Trump’s comments were directed not at the clerk but at Michael Cohen. Engoron, however, seemed unconvinced, stating he found it more plausible that Trump was indeed referring to the clerk. He indicated that he would further contemplate the matter.
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