The judge overseeing Donald Trump's criminal hush money trial fined the former U.S. president $9,000 on Tuesday for online posts that he found violated a gag order in the case.
Justice Juan Merchan's order came as the trial in New York resumed with testimony from a banker familiar with accounts involved in Trump's alleged scheme to influence the 2016 election by covering up a sex scandal.
The fine was just short of the $10,000 penalty that prosecutors had requested for 10 posts that insulted likely witnesses and questioned the impartiality of the jury.
Merchan will consider whether to impose further fines for other statements a hearing on Thursday.
Merchan also ordered Trump to remove the statements from his Truth Social account and his campaign website.
Trump could potentially face jail time for violating the gag order, which Merchan imposed to prevent him from criticizing witnesses and others involved in the case.
The Republican candidate in the 2024 presidential election is charged with falsifying business records to conceal a $130,000 payment to porn star Stormy Daniels in exchange for her silence about a sexual encounter she said she had with Trump in 2006.
Trump has pleaded not guilty and denied having sex with Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford.
The historic criminal trial is the first of a former U.S. president and began on April 22.
Roughly two dozen Trump supporters rallied outside the courthouse on Tuesday morning, chanting his name and waving banners that read "TRUMP 24." A local Republican organization had called for supporters to turn out after Trump complained that few people were protesting the trial.
Banker Garry Farro, who is not accused of wrongdoing, testified on Friday about financial records filed by Trump's onetime lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen, who prosecutors say helped carry out the scheme.
Trump is required to attend the trial and has said he could instead be campaigning ahead of his rematch with Democratic President Joe Biden in the Nov. 5 election.
The criminal case is one of four pending against Trump, but could be the only one to go to trial and result in a verdict before the election.
