Prosecutors Push for Donald Trump to Be Held in Contempt of Court for Violating Gag Order During First Day of Hush Money Trial: Report
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg pushed for Donald Trump to be held in contempt of court for violating a gag order.
April 15 2024, Published 2:00 p.m. ET
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg pushed for Donald Trump to be held in contempt of court for violating a gag order during the first day of the ex-president’s criminal hush money trial this week, RadarOnline.com has learned.
In a surprising development to come after Trump became the first former U.S. president in history to stand trial for criminal charges on Monday morning, the prosecutors prosecuting the embattled ex-president pushed for Trump to be held in contempt of court.
District Attorney Bragg and his team argued for the “admission of tweets” and other “social media posts evocative of Trump’s pressure campaign on witnesses” into evidence.
According to MSNBC’s Lisa Rubin, District Attorney Bragg and his team argued for the “admission of tweets” and other “social media posts evocative of Trump’s pressure campaign on witnesses” into evidence during the first few hours of Trump’s criminal trial on Monday.
“Shortly, we will be seeking an order to show cause why Defendant should be held in contempt,” Bragg and his team announced in connection to Trump’s violation of Judge Juan Merchan’s gag order.
Bragg’s team reportedly pushed for three consequences for Trump over his gag order violations, including a “$1k sanction for each of the 3 prior posts,” an order for Trump “to take them down,” and a warning that “further violations will result in jail time.”
Judge Merchan was expected to rule on the Manhattan district attorney’s request after the court broke for lunch.
Trump became the first former U.S. president in history to face trial for criminal charges on Monday morning.
As RadarOnline.com previously reported, Trump’s criminal trial that kicked off in Manhattan on Monday morning was in connection to the 34 charges Trump faced for the suspected falsification of New York business records.
The 34 falsification of business records charges stemmed from an alleged hush money payment Trump made to adult film star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 presidential election.
Trump was also accused of covering up two additional hush money payments, including one to a former Playboy model named Karen McDougal and a second to a former Trump Tower doorman.
Trump was indicted by a New York grand jury back in April 2023 and officially charged with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. He pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
Trump could be slapped with a $1,000 fine per violation and placed in jail for any further violations.
Flash forward to last month, and Judge Merchan was forced to impose a gag order against the embattled ex-president after Trump published a series of social media posts attacking Judge Merchan, Judge Merchan’s daughter, and several witnesses involved in the hush money trial.
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“This pattern of attacking family members of presiding jurists and attorneys assigned to his cases serves no legitimate purpose,” Judge Merchan wrote after expanding the gag order against Trump earlier this month.
“It merely injects fear in those assigned or called to participate in the proceedings that not only they, but their family members as well, are ‘fair game’ for Defendant’s vitriol,” the judge added at the time.
The trial marks the first time any United States president has faced criminal prosecution.
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Still, Trump appeared to continue to attack those involved in the trial – including in one post published from the courtroom on Monday morning just after 9 AM.
Trump also fumed about the gag order just minutes before he entered the courtroom for the first time this week.
“I want my VOICE back. This Crooked Judge has GAGGED me. Unconstitutional!” he raged. “The other side can talk about me, but I am not allowed to talk about them! Rigged Trial!”
Judge Merchan is expected to rule on DA Bragg’s contempt of court request sometime later today.
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