Donald Trump fined $5,000 for violating gag order in New York fraud trial and warned twice about imprisonment

Former President Donald Trump was fined $5,000 by a New York judge on Friday for violating a gag order not to speak about any members of the court staff - and was warned twice about possible imprisonment.

"Donald Trump has received ample warning from this Court as to the possible repercussions of violating the gag order. He specifically acknowledged that he understood and would abide by it," Judge Arthur Engoron said in his order Friday.

"Accordingly, issuing yet another warning is not longer appropriate; this Court is way behind the 'warning' stage."

On the second day of the trial, October 3, Engoron issued a partial gag order on all parties not to speak about any members of the court staff after Trump posted on Truth Social attacking Engoron's clerk. The post claimed she was a "girlfriend" to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, showing a picture of the two of them together.

The post was removed from Truth Social right after the gag order was issued, but it was not erased from Trump's campaign website, DonaldJTrump.com.

In court, Engoron admonished the former president's attorneys for a "blatant violation" of the gag order and suggested that violations could result in "imprisonment."

"I learned that the subject post was never removed from the website," he said. "And, in fact, had been on that website for the past 17 days. I understand that it was removed late last night but only in response to an email."