On Thursday morning, acting judge Juan Melchan said: another hearing Regarding four more alleged gag order violations by Donald Trump. Earlier this week, the judge despised Mr. Trump for alleged violations of previous orders.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg (Democratic) criticized President Trump for his “persistent and escalating comments.”
“He has already been found to have breached court orders nine times and he did so again here,” said prosecutor Chris Conroy.
The first gag order violation charge presented by prosecutors at Thursday’s hearing involved comments Trump made in a news interview last week that the jury was made up mostly of Democrats.
“The jury was selected very quickly. 95% of them were Democrats,” President Trump said.
Conroy claimed that the former president “used his position here to criticize the jurors seated in this case.”
During a recent campaign stop, Trump called a witness, former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker, a “good guy.”
“The defendant knows what he’s doing,” Conroy argued. He added that Trump was “talking about the witnesses who testified and saying nice things and doing it on camera” and claimed that this was an “intentional shot across the bow” at the witness.
Mr. Conroy also claimed that Mr. Trump violated the judge’s order in an April 23 television interview. President Trump called former lawyer Michael Cohen a “convicted liar.” Mr. Conroy claimed Mr. Trump was trying to discredit the testimony of witnesses.
The final alleged violation involved comments Trump made to reporters outside a New York courthouse on April 22nd.
“When are we going to look into all the lies that Cohen told in his last trial? He was caught lying in his last trial,” he said.
Conroy claimed that Trump was “doing everything in his power to make this case” in terms of politics, and that Trump’s comments were “corrosive to this proceeding and the fair administration of justice.” .
Prosecutors are asking Marchand to be ordered to pay $1,000 for each violation against Trump. Conroy said they are “not asking for prison yet.”
Trump’s lawyer, Todd Blanche, argued that Cohen has repeatedly used the podcast to attack Trump.
“Mr. Cohen is almost boldly inviting President Trump to respond to almost everything he says.” “It’s a personal attack on his character. It’s a mockery of the fact that he’s on trial. And it’s a presidential candidate for the United States.”
Blanche attacked her client, saying Cohen “started being on TikTok every night and literally making money.”
He insisted that Trump’s answers to questions about Pecker’s testimony were “very factual” and “neutral,” and said the former president “avoided” the investigation to avoid violating the gag order. did.
“There were no threatening or threatening statements,” Blanche added.
“He can’t just say ‘no comment’ over and over again. He’s running for president,” the lawyer said.
Marchan told Branch that Trump’s comments were “about what other witnesses were seeing.”
“It also affects the witnesses,” he said.
“We strongly believe this is political persecution,” Blanche told Marchand.
A judge has not yet ruled on the new charges.
Earlier this week, a judge found Trump in contempt for violating nine gag orders. blaze news Previously reported. The former president was ordered to pay $1,000 for each violation and to remove several social media posts and statements from his campaign website.
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