Former President Donald Trump has paid $9,000 in fines for violating a gag order in his hush money case, according to a court spokesperson on Friday.
On Tuesday, Judge Juan Merchan found Trump in criminal contempt for making public statements that violated the gag order, and he issued the maximum fine of $1,000 for each of nine separate infractions.
The $9,000 in fines was paid on Thursday through two cashier’s checks—one for $7,000 and the other for $2,000—confirmed Al Baker, the communications director for the New York State Office of Court Administration.
Judge Merchan is currently evaluating whether Trump violated the gag order an additional four times.
The gag order restricts Trump from commenting on the participation of potential witnesses in his hush money case. Trump was fined for his comments about former adult film actress Stormy Daniels and his former attorney Michael Cohen, who allegedly paid hush money to Daniels on Trump’s behalf.
Merchan warned Trump that future violations of the gag order could lead to jail time. However, Trump has continued to criticize the gag order in press conferences and on his Truth Social platform.
In a series of public statements, Trump referred to Cohen and Daniels with derogatory terms, calling Cohen a “serial perjurer” and both as “sleazebags.”
Trump faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. Prosecutors allege that these felony charges arise from Trump’s attempt to commit or cover up a crime through falsifying records.
Although Trump had previously paid fines for violating a gag order in his New York civil fraud case, a 2016 USA TODAY NETWORK investigation revealed that many people, including dishwashers, painters, and even his own lawyers, claimed they hadn’t been paid for their work.
Michael Cohen, Trump’s former lawyer, could be a key witness, providing testimony about checks prosecutors claim were falsified to cover unlawful interference in the 2016 presidential election. Prosecutors say these checks, labeled as “legal expenses,” were actually reimbursements to Cohen for his payment of $130,000 to Stormy Daniels.
