3 weeks ago
Former President Trump accused nan judge presiding complete his proceedings successful Manhattan of "rigging" nan 2024 predetermination aft ruling nan 45th president violated a gag bid stemming from nan case.
"This Judge has taken distant my Constitutional Right to FREE SPEECH. I americium nan only Presidential Candidate successful History to beryllium GAGGED," Trump wrote Tuesday connected Truth Social.
"This full ‘Trial’ is RIGGED, and by taking distant my FREEDOM OF SPEECH, THIS HIGHLY CONFLICTED JUDGE IS RIGGING THE PRESIDENTIAL OF 2024 ELECTION. ELECTION INTERFERENCE!!!" Trump continued.
Earlier Tuesday, Judge Juan Merchan ruled Trump violated a gag bid that bans him from speaking publically astir witnesses and family members of tribunal officials. The judge ruled Trump violated nan bid connected 9 abstracted occasions successful societal media posts, pinch each usurpation resulting successful a $1,000 fine. Trump was ordered to salary $9,000 for violating nan gag order.
LIVE UPDATES: NEW YORK V TRUMP TRIAL ENTERS 3RD WEEK AS JUDGE FINES TRUMP FOR GAG ORDER VIOLATIONS
Former President Trump sits successful a Manhattan courtroom successful New York City connected April 22, 2024. (Reuters/Brendan McDermid/Pool)
Following nan ruling, Trump removed nan societal media posts recovered successful usurpation of nan bid from his Truth Social account. Merchan's ruling comes aft Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's agency accused Trump of violating nan bid 14 times since it was imposed past month.
Merchan elaborate successful nan bid that if Trump carries retired "continued willful violations" of nan gag order, he could look "incarceratory punishment" if "necessary and appropriate."
NY V TRUMP: JUDGE REGRETS HE 'UNFORTUNATELY' CAN'T FINE 45TH PRESIDENT MORE IN GAG ORDER RULING
Trump has many times railed against nan gag order, calling nan lawsuit wide a "scam" promoted by nan Biden administration and saying nan gag bid has stripped him of nan expertise to take sides himself against accusations successful nan case.
A tribunal sketch depicts nan 3rd time of erstwhile President Trump’s criminal proceedings successful Manhattan Criminal Court connected April 18, 2024. (Christine Cornell)
"We person a gag order, which to maine is wholly unconstitutional. I'm not allowed to talk, but group are allowed to talk astir me. So, they tin talk astir me," Trump said extracurricular the New York City courtroom past week. "They tin opportunity immoderate they want, they tin lie, but I'm not allowed to opportunity anything. I conscionable person to beryllium backmost and look astatine why a conflicted judge has ordered maine to person [a] gag order," Trump said successful comments extracurricular nan courtroom past week.
Trump connected Tuesday greeting called connected Merchan to recuse himself from nan case, citing again that he's "conflicted."
"This is simply a hoax. This is simply a judge who is conflicted – badly, badly, severely conflicted. I've ne'er seen a judge truthful conflicted and giving america virtually nary rulings," Trump said extracurricular nan courtroom earlier nan proceedings kicked disconnected its ninth day.
"I'm going to beryllium successful nan freezing acold icebox for 8 hours, 9 hours aliases so. They took maine disconnected nan run trail. But nan bully news is my canvass numbers are nan highest it's ever been. So, astatine slightest we're getting nan connection out. And everybody knows this proceedings is simply a scam. It's a scam. The judge should beryllium recused; that he should recuse himself today, he should recuse himself today. And possibly he will," Trump said.
The erstwhile president had antecedently cited Merchan’s girl and her activity arsenic a political advisor for Democrat politicians arsenic a logic nan judge is "conflicted."
JUDGE FINES TRUMP THOUSANDS OVER VIOLATING GAG ORDER, WARNS 'INCARCERATORY PUNISHMENT' COULD BE NEXT
Judge Juan Merchan (AP Photo/Seth Wenig/File)
In Merchan's ruling regarding nan gag bid connected Tuesday, nan judge lamented not being capable to good Trump much than $1,000 per violation. He wrote successful nan bid that it would beryllium "preferable" if nan tribunal "could enforce a good much commensurate pinch nan wealthiness of nan contemnor."
Former President Trump attends nan first time of his criminal proceedings astatine Manhattan Criminal Court successful New York City connected April 15, 2024. (Angela Weiss/AFP via AP Pool)
"In immoderate cases that mightiness beryllium a $2,500 fine, successful different cases it mightiness beryllium a good of $150,000. Because this Court is not cloaked pinch specified discretion, it must truthful see whether successful immoderate instances, jailhouse whitethorn beryllium a basal punishment," he wrote, highlighting again that Trump could look clip down bars if he continues violating nan order.
Trump is connected proceedings for 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. He has pleaded not blameworthy to each complaint and slammed nan lawsuit arsenic a "witch hunt" and "scam."
A tribunal sketch depicts nan 2nd time of erstwhile President Trump’s criminal proceedings successful Manhattan Criminal Court connected April 16, 2024. (Christine Cornell)
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The NY v. Trump case focuses connected Trump’s erstwhile individual attorney, Michael Cohen, paying erstwhile pornographic character Stormy Daniels $130,000 to allegedly quiet her claims of an alleged extramarital matter she had pinch nan then-real property tycoon successful 2006. Trump has denied having an matter pinch Daniels.
Prosecutors allege that nan Trump Organization reimbursed Cohen and fraudulently logged nan payments arsenic ineligible expenses. Prosecutors are moving to beryllium that Trump falsified records pinch nan intent to perpetrate aliases conceal a 2nd crime, which is simply a felony, successful usurpation of a New York rule called "conspiracy to promote aliases forestall election."
