Donald Trump returns to the hush money trial on Tuesday after the judge warned he faces jail if he violates the gag order again.
The former president was found in contempt of court and fined $1,000 by Judge Juan Merchan who admonished him for a ‘direct attack on the rule of law’.
The 77-year-old was warned he could face a stint behind bars he continues flouting the laws of the court.
It came during another dramatic day in the historic trial where the jury heard from two witnesses: Former Trump Organization controller Jeffrey McConney and Deborah Tarasoff, a Trump Organization accounts payable supervisor.
Follow all of Tuesday’s action from DailyMail.com’s reporters in the courtroom.
Breaking:Stormy Daniels expected to take the stand today, her lawyer says
An attorney for Stormy Daniels says the porn actor is expected to appear as a witness in Donald Trump’s hush money trial on Tuesday.
Clark Brewster tells The Associated Press that Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, is ‘likely’ to be called as a witness in the trial on Tuesday.
Trump: ‘I have just recently been told who the witness is today. This is unprecedented, no time for lawyers to prepare.’
Donald Trump claims he has just been told the identity of today’s witness and claimed his lawyers have been given ‘no time to prepare’.
‘This is unprecedented,’ he railed on Truth Social.
The former president also risked violating the gag order again.
‘No Judge has ever run a trial in such a biased and partisan way. He is CROOKED & HIGHLY CONFLICTED, even taking away my First Amendment Rights.
‘Now he’s threatening me with JAIL, & THEY HAVE NO CASE – This according to virtually all Legal Scholars & Experts! Why isn’t the Fake News Media reporting his Conflict?’
Prosecutor estimates they could wrap up their case two weeks from Tuesday
Prosecutors in Trump’s hush money case told Judge Merchan they could wrap their case two weeks from tomorrow.
That would mean the prosecution rests May 21. Merchan said he would not hold them to it.
Trump decried that it’s a ‘political witch hunt’ and a ploy to keep him off the election trail for another few weeks.
A fired-up Trump spoke to reporters before departing the courthouse.
Trump says he’d be willing to go to jail as judge comes down with another gag order violation
Trump railed against the latest gag order violation handed down today by Judge Merchan against him.
He was threatened with serving jail time and has to pay $10,000 in fines for speaking out about the jury, witnesses and the judge.
But it didn’t seem to bother the former president, who told reporters as he departed court that he’d be willing to serve time to protect the First Amendment.
‘I have to watch every word I tell you people,’ he lamented.
‘Yes, we have questions, a simple question – I’d like to give it but I can’t talk about it because this judge has given me a gag order and said you’ll go to jail if you violate.’
‘And frankly, you know what, our Constitution is much more important than jail. It’s not even close. I’ll do that sacrifice any day.’
Witnesses walked prosecutors step by step through the payments to Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen from the Trump Organization on Monday as the prosecution laid out its paper trail in the hush money case against Donald Trump.
Two longtime employees of the Trump Organization were called to the stand to testify in the case: Jeff McConney, a former controller who retired last year as well as Deborah Tarasoff who works in accounting and issued checks.
During McConney’s testimony, the jury was shown a series of documents including invoices, checks, spreadsheets and handwritten notes as the witness walked through how Cohen was ‘reimbursed’ for the alleged hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels.
In total, McConney testified that Cohen was paid $420,000 including money from Trump’s revocable trust and then from his personal account.
McConney recalled a conversation he had with Allen Weisselberg, who was chief financial officer of the Trump Organization about owing Cohen money.
Donald Trump returns to the hush money trial on Tuesday after the judge warned he faces jail if he violates the gag order again.
The former president was found in contempt of court and fined $1,000 by Judge Juan Merchan who admonished him for a ‘direct attack on the rule of law’.
The 77-year-old was warned he could face a stint behind bars he continues flouting the laws of the court.
Trump ended his day in court by suggesting he’s willing to go to jail to keep railing against his case.
Trump complained about the gag order that bars him from talking about jurors, witnesses and some others connected to the trial, telling reporters: ‘I have to watch every word I tell you people … because this judge has given me a gag order and said you’ll go to jail if you violate it.’
‘And frankly, you know what? Our Constitution is much more important than jail,’ he went on. “It’s not even close. I’ll do that sacrifice any day.”