United States : Donald Trump faces jail threat over gag order violation
Donald Trump has accomplished many firsts during his public life. Now you can add being the first former president directly threatened with jail time at his criminal trial. At issue the former president’s continued violation of a gag order, which he railed against again Monday morning just outside the courtroom. The judge is totally conflict. It totally conflicted, and you ought to take a look at it. And I’m not supposed to be talking about it, but I am allowed to say that the judge has a conflict that like nobody’s ever had before. You ought to take a look at it. This is the second time Judge Juan Merchant has found Trump in contempt for violating the order. Which bars the former president from speaking out publicly about witnesses, jurors, court staff and their families, with the fines of $1000 per violation having no apparent effect in court. The judge addressed Trump directly, saying this court will have to consider a jail sanction. At the end of the day, I have a job to do. Part of that job is to protect the dignity of the justice system, the judge adding. The last thing I want to do is put you in jail. You are the former president of the United States and possibly the next president as well. Trump, who had no visible reaction to the threat of jail, is charged with 34 felonies of falsifying business records to cover up a hush money payment of $130,000 to the porn star Stormy Daniels and the run up to the 2016 election. Prosecutors allege the payment, made by his attorney and fixer, Michael Cohen, was part of a conspiracy to help Trump cover up negative stories about him amounting to election interference. Trump has pleaded not guilty and denies he ever had an affair with Stormy Daniels. He faces possible prison time if convicted.