Two weeks ago, Donald Trump found himself in hot water after posting an unfounded screenshot on his Truth Social platform. He falsely identified a law clerk for the New York Supreme Court Justice Engoron as Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s “girlfriend.” (Above The Law)
Justice Engoron immediately took action and issued a gag order preventing all involved parties from using their platforms to discuss his staff (The Daily Beast). Trump’s egregious violation was met with silence from his lawyers, contrasting markedly with their previous vigorous defenses of their clients’ supposed First Amendment rights.
Despite these consequences, the offending post remained active on Donald Trump’s homepage, an observation made by Meidas Touch’s Ron Filipkowski (Meidas Touch).
A subsequent court hearing saw Justice Engoron threaten Trump with possible jail time for contempt of court. Trump’s lawyer, Chris Kise, blamed the ongoing presence of the post on an oversight, raising a fraught apology in court (The Daily Beast).
In the aftermath, Justice Engoron issued a stern order (NY Courts) where he expressed his frustration over Trump’s “careless misrepresentation to the court.” He explained that no defendant can evade a court order by blaming the violation on employees or agents. He emphasized the risk of such “incendiary untruths,” citing the potential for causing serious physical harm.
Though the fine given to Trump — a “nominal” $5,000 — was small, Justice Engoron warned of more substantial penalties for future violations, which could include larger financial penalties, holding Trump in contempt of court, and even potential imprisonment.
As Trump and his legal team stay silent on the order, they have concurrently requested a stay on a limited gag order issued by Judge Chutkan in DC, pending their appeal (Court Listener). Simultaneously on Truth Social, Trump has chosen to re-post an image of himself in court with a stern-looking Jesus (Truth Social). Unexpectedly, this image was created by an Australian man currently interned for severe criminal offenses (New York Post).