In a startling turn of events in Donald Trump's civil fraud trial, Judge Arthur Engoron has threatened the former president with imprisonment.
This came after Trump apparently violated a gag order that prevented him from speaking publicly about the judge's staff.
Judge Engoron became visibly angry when he discovered that a derogatory post about his clerk had not been removed from Trump's campaign website.
This is reported by CBSnews.
Engoron's warning
Judge Engoron questioned Trump's lawyers as to why he should not impose "serious" sanctions, "including financial sanctions" "or possibly imprisoning him." This quote underscores the grave tone of the case and the judge's dissatisfaction with Trump's actions.
Trump's attorney, Christopher Kise, attempted to downplay the situation by calling it an "errant oversight" and explained that the post had been mistakenly replicated on the campaign's website.
However, Engoron was not immediately convinced and maintained that Trump is still responsible.
Background of the Case
The case revolves around allegations that Trump, his adult sons, and The Trump Organization have overvalued Trump's properties and net worth in an alleged scheme to obtain favorable loans and insurance.
This is said to have benefited them by at least $250 million.
Judge's ruling
As a consequence of the violation, Trump was fined $5,000. Engoron wrote in his order that "in the current overheated climate, incendiary untruths can, and in some cases already have, led to physical harm, and worse."
