NEW YORK (AP) — A New York judge on Thursday upheld a $10,000 fine he had imposed on Donald Trump for an out-of-court comment the former president made during his civil trial for corporate fraud.
The decision came after Trump’s lawyers urged Judge Arthur Engoron to reconsider the sanction. The judge fined Trump on Wednesday after determining that his comments to television cameras outside the courtroom violated a gag order that prohibits those involved in the trial from publicly commenting on the judge’s staff.
Outside court Wednesday, the Republican presidential front-runner complained that Engoron, a Democrat, is “a very partisan judge with a very partisan person sitting next to him, maybe even much more partisan than him.” ”.
Trump made the comment weeks after Engoron imposed the gag order following Trump’s social media post disparaging the judge’s top law clerk. She sits next to Engoron, and Trump’s lawyers had complained a little earlier about the secretary’s facial expressions and her role in the case.
Called to the stand Wednesday to explain his comment, Trump said he was not talking about the secretary but rather witness Michael Cohen — his former lawyer and mediator who was testifying against him at the time.
On Wednesday, Engoron called Trump’s argument “not credible” and noted that the secretary is closer to him than the witness stand.
Trump’s lawyers insisted again Thursday that Trump had been referring to Cohen.
The civil suit concerns allegations of conspiracy, insurance fraud and falsification of business records. James is seeking $250 million in fines and a ban on Trump doing business in New York.
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2023-10-26 16:31:43
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