The gag order Judge Juan Merchan imposed on Donald Trump has so far failed to stop the impulsive former president from defaming people involved in his hush-money case in Manhattan. The penalty of $1,000 for each violation means little to the billionaire, who was fined nine times just last week — and has begun fundraising for his campaign with the line that the judge wants to “silence” him.
“It appears that the $1,000 fines are not serving as a deterrent,” Merchan told the court on Monday, as he issued Trump his tenth contempt fine. In response, the judge suggested a more serious penalty. “Going forward, this court will have to consider a jail sanction,” he said. Merchan is not rejoicing in that prospect, unlike, presumably, many of his fellow Manhattan residents. “Mr. Trump, it’s important you understand the last thing I want to do is put you in jail,” he said. “But at the end of the day I have a job to do.” Reporters in the room noted that Trump did not visibly react to Merchan’s big statement.
The violation that prompted Merchan’s latest fine came during an interview Trump gave on April 22 with Just the News, No Noise, a show hosted by former Fox News contributor John Solomon. “You know [the judge is] rushing the trial like crazy,” Trump said. “Nobody’s ever seen a thing go like this. That jury was picked so fast — 95 percent Democrats. The area’s mostly all Democrat. You think of it as a — just a purely Democrat area. It’s a very unfair situation, that I can tell you.” Merchan ruled that the comment violated his gag order’s conditions, which include instructions not to attack the jury.
The threat of jail time will determine whether Trump — who repeatedly violated a gag order in last year’s civil business-fraud case — is all that concerned about staying out of jail. (He did delete offending social-media posts before a Judge Merchan-imposed deadline last week, so he or his team is capable of some restraint.) Either way, there’s a good chance he will use the prospect of incarceration to make some money for his campaign.
