Alvin Bragg formally asks for Trump to be held in contempt for violating gag order

New York County District Attorney Alvin Bragg formally asked Tuesday for Donald Trump to be held in contempt in his hush money trial for allegedly violating Justice Juan Merchan's gag order.

The legal action stems from an April 1 court order that prohibited Trump from making or directing public statements about potential witnesses in the case, including Michael Cohen and Stormy Daniels. The order was aimed at preventing any influence on the testimony or intimidation of individuals involved in the trial.

Despite the order, Trump reportedly made several posts on social media targeting Cohen and Daniels shortly after the restriction was put in place. This included a post on April 10 where Trump shared a statement by Michael Avenatti, a former lawyer for Daniels, criticizing the fairness of the gag order and calling Cohen and Daniels "sleaze bags."

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In an 11-page motion filed on Tuesday, Bragg argued that Trump's actions were a "willful" violation of the court's directive and demonstrated a deliberate attempt to "intimidate this Court and impede the orderly administration of this trial."

The district attorney's office has requested that the court impose sanctions on Trump, including fines and the removal of the offending social media posts. The memorandum emphasized the importance of upholding the integrity of the judicial process and ensuring that the trial is conducted fairly and without undue influence.

"This Court should now hold defendant in criminal contempt for willfully disobeying a lawful mandate," the filing stated. "Defendant is not above the law, and he cannot simply disregard judicial orders that upset him."

Merchan said he would hold a hearing on the matter next week.