Former President Donald Trump was hit with some minor financial fines by Judge Engoron in the civil case for violating the gag order, according to former federal prosecutor Kirschner.
According to Mary McCord, a former acting assistant attorney general, the latest expansion of the gag order is considered “unusual” because it does not mention pretrial detainment if the individual violates the gag order.
During the interview, McCord highlighted that in the two criminal cases, they did not include gag orders as part of the conditions of release for Mr. Trump. They also did not require him to sign an acknowledgment stating that he understands the expanded conditions and the potential consequences of violating them, which could result in the revocation of his release.
The initial gag order in the case limited Trump’s ability to publicly discuss jurors, witnesses, and “family members of any counsel or staff member.” However, this order did not extend to the family members of Merchan or Bragg.
Last week, Trump responded to an account on X, formerly Twitter, that seemed to be owned by the judge’s daughter and featured a profile picture of an incarcerated Trump. However, the account is no longer linked to Loren, as she deleted it approximately a year ago, as confirmed by the New York state Office of Court Administration (OCA).
In a scathing critique, the ex-president criticized the broadened gag order on Tuesday and reiterated his call for Merchan to step aside. Merchan had previously denied the initial request for recusal made by Trump’s legal team, prompting them to announce their intention to file a fresh motion for his recusal on Monday.
Less than 24 hours after the expansion of the gag order, President Trump took to Twitter to share a video from Tuesday morning’s “Fox and Friends” show. In the video, host Brian Kilmeade voiced his criticism of prosecutor Matthew Colangelo and Loren Merchan.
In his federal election interference case in Washington, D.C., Trump faced a gag order last fall. This order prohibits him from making public remarks that target prosecutors, potential witnesses, or court staff involved in the case.
