Judge fines Trump $10k for violating gag order a second time after ordering him to take the stand

The judge in the Manhattan civil fraud trial fined former President Donald Trump $10,000 for violating his gag order a second time.

New York State Supreme Court Judge Arthur Engoron had Trump answer for a statement he made during a midmorning break to the media blasting the judge for being biased against him.

"If we had a jury it would have been fair, at least — even if it was a somewhat negative jury — because no negative jury would vote against me," Trump said. "But this judge will. Because this judge is a very partisan judge, with a person who's very partisan sitting alongside of him, perhaps even much more partisan than he is."

The judge had Trump explain who he was talking about, and the former president said he was referring to Michael Cohen, his former personal lawyer who was testifying against him. Engoron told Trump he didn't believe him and instead accused him of criticizing the judge's court clerk.

"I think I've said this before, but the idea the statement of referring to the witness as someone sitting along side me doesn't make sense to me," the judge said, referring to Cohen.

Engoron had previously fined Trump $5,000 after he warned the former president against criticizing his head court clerk. Trump posted a photograph of the woman standing next to Democrat Sen. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York.

Trump referred to the clerk as "Schumer's girlfriend" and implied that the court was biased against him.

Engoron warned Trump that he would face more dire consequences for further violations of the gag rule and said that imprisonment was on the table.

“Personal attacks on members of my court staff are not appropriate and I will not tolerate it under any circumstance,” Engoron said when he ordered the gag rule.

The civil lawsuit was filed by New York Attorney General Letitia James against the former president, his two sons, and the Trump Organization. She has called for Trump to be fined $250 million and to have his business licenses revoked in New York.

Engoron previously ruled in September that Trump did commit fraud in one of the seven charges, but an appellate court issued a stay against the dissolution of Trump's businesses licenses.

Here's more about the second gag order fine:

Trump fined $10,000 for violating gag orderwww.youtube.com

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