Hush money judge rules Trump violated gag order

NEW YORK — The judge overseeing former President Trump’s hush money case held him in contempt for violating a gag order nine times.

Judge Juan Merchan fined Trump nearly $10,000 over his recent posts on Truth Social and campaign website attacking prospective jurors and prosecutors’ expected star witnesses.

“What happened here is precisely what this order was designed to prevent and this defendant doesn’t care,” Assistant District Attorney Chris Conroy said at last week's hearing.