NEW YORK (NewsNation) — Judge Juan Merchan on Monday fined former President Donald Trump $1,000 for again violating a gag order in his hush money case and warned additional infractions could result in jail time.
“The last thing I want to do is put you in jail,” Merchan said in the New York courtroom where Trump is being tried. “There are many reasons why incarceration is a last resort for me.”
The fine must be paid by the end of the day Friday.
Meanwhile, testimony resumed Monday as the trial entered a third week. Prosecutors are expected to delve deeper into events and people involved in the alleged scheme to influence the 2016 presidential election by buying and burying negative stories about the candidate.
Overall, prosecutors are setting the stage for testimony from Trump’s former attorney Michael Cohen, who paid adult film actor Stormy Daniels $130,000 for her silence before he pleaded guilty to federal charges of campaign finance violations and tax evasion.
Trump has pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to cover up hush money payments, including the payment to Daniels. Prosecutors allege those transactions were falsely logged as legal expenses.
The case is the first-ever criminal trial of a former U.S. president and the first of four prosecutions of Trump to reach a jury.
What’s ahead as the trial enters the 12th day?
NewsNation confined that Jeffrey McConney, who also testified during Trump’s civil fraud trial, was the first witness called to the stand Monday.
Jurors in the first week of testimony heard first from David Pecker, the former publisher of the National Enquirer, who among other things explained his pledge to be the “eyes and ears” of Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign.
Keith Davidson, an attorney who represented Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal in hush money negotiations, has also taken the stand. Additionally, jurors heard from others such as a forensic analyst who examined Cohen’s phones and a paralegal with the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office.
Hope Hicks, a former White House official and for years a top aide, is by far the closest Trump associate to have taken the witness stand in the trial. During her testimony, she painted a vivid picture of the chaos that unfolded after the “Access Hollywood” tape leaked and the Wall Street Journal ran a story about McDougal’s hush money deal.
The defense cross-examined Hicks for roughly 20 minutes before the court adjourned early Friday.
Cohen heard, but not yet seen
One witness who has been frequently heard but not yet seen is Cohen.
Jurors last week began hearing Cohen’s words on audio recordings as prosecutors worked to directly tie Trump to payments to silence women with damaging claims about him before the 2016 election.
Jurors heard, in particular, a potentially crucial piece of evidence: a recording of Trump and Cohen, then his attorney, discussing a plan to pay off McDougal who claimed to have an affair with Trump. The former president denies the affair.
Jurors also heard a few witnesses recount their interactions with Cohen — some pleasant and others far less so.
It’s unclear when the prosecution’s star witness will take the stand.
What does the judge’s gag order mean?
Monday’s fine marks the second sanction against Trump for comments about witnesses since the start of the trial last month.
The violation in this case stems from an April 22 interview in which he criticized the speed at which the jury was picked and claimed it was stacked with Democrats.
Trump was fined $9,000 last Tuesday for nine violations.
The gag order bars Trump from speaking publicly about key witnesses, jurors and others in the case. The order doesn’t stop Trump from talking about the allegations against him or commenting on the judge or the elected top prosecutor, District Attorney Alvin Bragg. Additionally, it doesn’t stop him from testifying in court if he chooses.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.