(CNN) –– Former President Donald Trump took the stand in his civil fraud trial in New York to answer under oath the judge’s questions about a series of comments he made outside court on Wednesday.
During a break in the trial, Trump complained about Judge Arthur Engoron and then accused a person close to him of being “very partisan.” “This judge is a very partisan judge with a very partisan person sitting next to him, maybe even much more partisan than him,” the former president said.
On the stand, Engoron asked Trump who he was referring to when he talked about the partisan person sitting next to him.
“You and (Michael) Cohen,” Trump replied.
“Are you sure you weren’t referring to the person on the other side?” the judge questioned again in reference to his secretary.
“Yes, I’m sure,” the former president responded.
Moments earlier, during a lunch break and after meeting with the judge behind closed doors, Trump denied referring to the secretary in his previous comments. He also said that he did not deny the current gag order he has regarding the case.
“Did you violate the gag order, Mr. President?” a reporter asked after Trump and others left a closed room during the lunch break.
Trump responded: “No.”
He also replied, “Not at all,” when asked if he was referring to Engoron’s secretary during comments from the previous break.
Engoron imposed a gag order on Trump after the former president posted a derogatory message on social media about Engoron’s secretary. And last week, the judge fined Trump $5,000 because Trump’s campaign website inadvertently left up the post after the gag order.
Judge fines Trump and says he is “not credible”
After Trump took the stand, the judge fined him $10,000, considering that he did violate the gag order.
“As a judge of fact, I find the witness not credible,” Judge Engoron said after hearing the former president under oath.
After hearing arguments from Trump’s lawyers about the $10,000 fine, Judge Engoron said he stood by his ruling.
Engoron asked to see Trump’s quote and read it one more time. He later said the attorneys’ complaints about his secretary prove “my exact point.”
The judge added: “I have reconsidered, the decision stands.” And then he warned Trump: “Don’t do it again or it will be worse.”
2023-10-25 19:00:00
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