The judge fined Donald Trump again and warned him that if he commits contempt again he will have to consider “a prison sanction”

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Former President Donald Trump was fined $1,000 by the judge presiding over his trial in Manhattan Criminal Court for violating his gag order. This marks the second time Trump has been fined for making inflammatory comments about jurors, witnesses, and others associated with the case. The judge, Juan M. Merchán, sternly warned Trump that further violations could result in jail time.

During an interview with Real America’s Voice, Trump criticized the speed with which the jury was selected, claiming it was predominantly made up of Democrats. These comments led to the latest violation of the gag order and subsequent fine.

Despite the threat of jail time, Judge Merchán expressed reluctance to take such a drastic step, acknowledging Trump’s status as a former president and a potential future candidate. Testimony in the trial continued on Monday with former Trump Organization comptroller, Jeffrey McConney, taking the stand.

McConney, who retired last year after 36 years with the company, testified that he had helped executives evade taxes on company profits. This testimony follows a politically damaging recording from the 2016 campaign and efforts by Trump and his allies to prevent disclosure of other alleged embarrassing stories.

The trial, now in its third week of testimony, centers around 34 felony counts of falsifying business records related to hush money payments made to silence potentially damaging stories about Trump. The prosecution’s star witness, Michael Cohen, is expected to face tough questioning from defense attorneys seeking to undermine his credibility with jurors.

Trump has pleaded not guilty to the charges, maintaining that he did not have sexual encounters with the women involved and that no wrongdoing occurred. The trial is one of four facing Trump, with the possibility that it may be the only one to go to trial before the November election. Other indictments accuse him of conspiring to subvert the 2020 election and illegally withholding classified documents after leaving office.