WITNESS ATTACKS: Trump posts earn him a CONTEMPT hearing
Donald Trump has complained nonstop about the gag order imposed on him in his New York criminal case, albeit with pauses to make posts that almost certainly violate the order.
One of the first orders of business on Monday as the trial proceedings began was for the prosecution to seek a show cause hearing, in which Trump would have to explain why he violated the order, as well as considering $3k in fines, $1k for each of three violations they’re citing.
Judge Juan Merchan broke the courtroom proceedings for lunch without giving a ruling, but when the parties returned to the courtroom, he had an announcement for them. He’s scheduling a hearing to cover the potential contempt charges — and he’s putting it in the near future, but far enough out that Trump has plenty of time to either decide he’d rather comply with the order, or to exhibit further contempt for it.
The hearing is scheduled for April 23rd, at 9 am, according to Courthouse News reporter Erik Uebelacker.
The parties will then have an opportunity to convince the court whether or not Trump violated the order (which Trump is still appealing), as well as potentially whether or not he will continue to do so.
Trump’s latest post that’s alleged to have violated the order came Monday morning, even as court was beginning. It was a sharing of an opinion piece from Trump apologist Jonathan Turley, attacking Michael Cohen, who is one of the key witnesses in the case. According to his opinion in the NY Post:
“Cohen recently was denounced by a judge as a serial perjurer who is continuing to game the system. Cohen has a long record as a legal thug who has repeatedly lied when it served his interests.”
Turley doesn’t mention that the lies Cohen was caught in were told to protect Trump. Trump didn’t mention that either, as he reposted the article and quoted it, writing:
“A serial perjurer will try to prove an old misdemeanor against Trump in an embarrassment for the New York legal system.”
Trump also reposted this on his website.
He has just over a week to make a decision about whether he’ll try to defend his actions and continue them, or if he’ll take down the posts and plead for the court’s mercy.
And if he does it again, the penalty will likely go beyond just fines and land Trump in prison for contempt of court.
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