Monday marked the first criminal trial of a former U.S. president, who is also a presumptive nominee for the next election. Just one day later, things are already off to a rocky start.
On Tuesday, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg filed a motion to hold former President Donald Trump in contempt of court, alleging that Trump violated the court’s gag order by making public comments about two key witnesses in his ongoing criminal trial. The action, filed in the New York Supreme Court, could lead to significant consequences, including imprisonment.
The court documents accuse Trump of intentionally defying a gag order that prohibited him from making public statements about Michael Cohen and Stormy Daniels, both of whom are involved in the case. According to the motion, Trump’s comments on social media were a clear violation of the court’s directives.
“Defendant willfully violated this Court’s order by publishing several social media posts attacking two known witnesses—Michael Cohen and Stormy Daniels. These attacks unquestionably violate the Court’s April 1 order,” Bragg stated in the motion. The document claimed that such actions by Trump could “threaten the integrity of the judicial proceedings” by potentially intimidating witnesses and adversely affecting the trial’s fairness.
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The filed motion detailed the alleged infractions, including quotes from Trump’s posts. In one instance, Trump is cited as thanking Michael Avenatti for revealing “the truth about two sleaze bags who have, with their lies and misrepresentations, cost our Country dearly!” This, along with other statements, was pointed to as evidence of Trump’s “disregard” for the judicial order.
The DA’s office is urging the court to not only affirm the existing gag order but also to consider stronger penalties for future violations. “This Court should now hold defendant in criminal contempt for willfully disobeying a lawful mandate,” Bragg argued in the document. Furthermore, Bragg’s motion suggests that Trump’s actions warrant a direct response from the judiciary to maintain order and respect for the court’s processes: “Defendant is not above the law, and he cannot simply disregard judicial orders that upset him.”
Manhattan Judge Juan Merchan has been requested to warn Trump that further disregard for the court’s rules could result in “not only with additional fines but also with a term of incarceration of up to thirty days.” The filing is the latest development in a series of legal challenges facing Trump, with this particular case scrutinizing his conduct regarding court orders and the broader implications on legal proceedings.
Trump expressed his frustration on Monday after Merchan informed him that attending his son Barron’s high school graduation could lead to jail time.
“We had some amazing things happen today. As you know, my son has graduated from high school. And it looks like the judge will not let me go through the graduation of my son, who’s worked very, very hard,” Trump stated. He described the situation as a continuation of what he called a “scam trial” and a “political witch hunt.”
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“It’s a scam trial. If you read all of the legal pundits, all of the legal scholars today, there’s not one that I see that said this is a case that should be brought or tried.” The former president also linked this prohibition to a critical upcoming event, adding, “In addition, as you know, next Thursday we’re before the United States Supreme Court on a very big hearing on immunity.”
Judge Merchan has scheduled an April 23 hearing in the New York criminal case against Trump. The hearing will consider prosecutors’ request to hold him in contempt.