(MENAFN) Former President Donald Trump has found himself entangled in legal woes once again, as reports emerge of him paying a hefty fine for repeatedly breaching a gag order during his hush money trial in New York. According to court officials, Trump has been slapped with a USD9,000 penalty by Judge Juan Merchant for violating the gag order on nine separate occasions. The judge further mandated the removal of seven contentious posts from Trump's social media platform, Truth Social, along with two additional posts from his campaign website.
The trial revolves around allegations of Trump falsifying business records to conceal his purported extramarital affair with former adult film star Stormy Daniels. Trump vehemently denies any wrongdoing, adamantly refuting claims of an affair with Daniels and dismissing the gag order as "unconstitutional." He asserts that the trial is merely a ploy to derail his chances of securing reelection.
Amidst the legal proceedings, the court heard testimony from Hope Hicks, Trump's former campaign press secretary and White House communications director. Hicks recounted Trump's apprehension upon learning of a Wall Street Journal article detailing his alleged affairs with Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal. She revealed Trump's concern about his wife's reaction and instructed her to ensure that newspapers containing the story were not delivered to their residence.
As the trial unfolds, Trump remains defiant, rallying supporters during a recent event in Waukesha, Wisconsin. Despite facing a tight race against President Joe Biden in the polls, with just six months remaining until election day, Trump maintains his innocence, lambasting the legal proceedings as a conspiracy orchestrated by a biased judiciary.
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