Former US President Donald Trump was fined $9,000 on Tuesday for breaching a gag order related to his ongoing criminal hush-money trial in Manhattan. The trial, which resumed this week, centers on allegations that Trump orchestrated a payment to silence adult film star Stormy Daniels about a claimed sexual encounter to influence the 2016 presidential election.
Justice Juan Merchan imposed the fine as proceedings continued with testimonies about the financial intricacies of the alleged scheme. Trump, who is running again for president, has pleaded not guilty to charges of falsifying business records to conceal a $130,000 payment to Daniels.
The case has drawn significant attention, with Trump’s supporters rallying outside the courthouse. Inside, testimonies from bankers and lawyers involved in the financial transactions provided detailed accounts of the arrangements Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen allegedly made to manage the payments to Daniels and another woman, Karen McDougal, who also claims to have had an affair with Trump.
This trial marks the first criminal prosecution of a former US president and is one of several legal battles Trump faces, with this being potentially the only one resolved before the November presidential election. Trump has criticized the trial publicly, claiming it interferes with his campaign activities.