Trump hush money trial live updates: Judge Merchan fines Trump for violating gag order

Trump complains about temperature of courthouse: ‘An ice box’

Donald Trump’s hush money trial is back underway with further testimony from Gary Farro, the banker for former Trump fixer Michael Cohen who took the stand at the end of last week.

Cohen was instrumental in making a $130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels to cover up an alleged affair with Mr Trump. The court also heard on Friday from the former president’s long-time executive assistant, Rhona Graff.

Judge Juan Merchan began by saying he would give the trial a day off to allow Mr Trump to attend his son Barron Trump’s high school graduation before ruling that he found the former president in contempt of court on nine of the first ten violations of the gag order, fining him $1,000 for each.

Further violations may result in “an incarceratory punishment”.

Meanwhile, over the weekend Mr Trump met with Ron DeSantis to resolve their differences after a bruising primary rivalry. The Florida governor’s campaign for the GOP nomination ended in disappointment and the former president now hopes to capitalise on his influence with Sunshine State conservative donors.

The Independent’s Alex Woodward is covering Mr Trump’s trial at Manhattan Criminal Court and will be bringing us regular updates…

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Gary Farro is back on the stand, where we’re looking through emails between Michael Cohen and representatives from First Republic Bank, to confirm his transfer of $130,000.

We see emails exchanged between Cohen’s Trump Organization address confirming the drawdown of home equity line funds to his shell company account.

Alex Woodward30 April 2024 15:01

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Full story: Trump hit with $9,000 fine for violating hush money trial gag order

Alex Woodward reports from the courthouse in Lower Manhattan:

The judge overseeing the case issued a brief order from the bench on Tuesday finding him in contempt of court and ordering him to delete the posts.

In his written order, New York Justice Juan Merchan ordered Mr Trump to delete the post and pay the fine by Friday.

Oliver O’Connell30 April 2024 14:55

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Justice Juan Merchan says he won’t hold the trial on 17 May to allow Donald Trump to attend his son Barron’s high school graduation.

And then immediately fined Mr Trump $9,000 for violating the trial’s gag order.

The judge found that the people had met the burden of proof on nine of the first ten violations of the gag order.

Alex Woodward30 April 2024 14:41

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Trump seated in court as proceedings get underway

With no family support in the first two weeks of his trial, not only has a small group of Donald Trump’s supporters showed up outside, but his second son Eric Trump joined him in court today.

Here’s how we captured Trump’s presence in court last week:

As usual, The Independent’s Alex Woodward is reporting live from the courthouse:

Trump has entered, looking behind him while standing at the defence table waiting for his attorneys to arrive.

He’s leaning against the partition and chatting with Eric Trump, the first family member to attend this trial so far.

He’s glowering as usual with his hands folded in front of him at the defence table while the photo pool steps in.

Oliver O’Connell30 April 2024 14:34

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Good news for Trump — some supporters showed up

After last week’s poor showing from supporters of Donald Trump outside his trial in Lower Manhattan, there’s good news for the former president as a more vocal and active show of support was evident this morning.

It may not be the “thousands” of people he claimed were being prevented from protesting, but it’s something at least…

It’s unclear why that man is dressed as Santa.

Oliver O’Connell30 April 2024 14:24

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New York hush money trial: Who’s who in Trump’s criminal case?

As we gear up for the start of week three of Trump’s historic trial, here’s Ariana Baio with a reminder of the key runners and riders.

Meet the key players in Trump’s hush money trial

From a porn star and a Playboy model to a supermarket tabloid publisher – by way of a lawyer-turned-felon – the cast of characters in the first-ever criminal trial of a former president could hardly be more colourful. Ariana Baio reports

Joe Sommerlad30 April 2024 14:00

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Hair loss drug used by Trump can cause sexual dysfunction and bad mental health, says watchdog

Presented without comment.

Joe Sommerlad30 April 2024 13:30

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TV party: Conservative media attempts to whip up ‘salad-gate’ and twice confuses Biden with Trump

The right-wing news channels seem to be getting more desperate than ever these days.

On Newsmax, Eric Bolling has been claiming Joe Biden is too old to eat salad and, on Jesse Watters’ Fox show, former Trump White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany forgot who was president three years ago while Newt Gingrich engaged in some outstanding projection work.

Neither of them appear to be able to tell Biden and Trump apart.

Joe Sommerlad30 April 2024 13:15

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Michael Cohen was Trump’s consummate inside man. Now, friends say he’s on the stand and at risk

Trump’s former fixer was once so close to him that he once declared that he “would take a bullet for” his boss.

But in the seven years since professing his unwavering loyalty, the disbarred lawyer has suffered his own very public downfall and criminal conviction and is now recast as star witness in the Manhattan’s district attorney’s hush money case against the former president.

It is a role that Cohen both relishes — as a reformed “truth-teller” who enthusiastically pulls back the curtain on the alleged murky dealings of Trumpworld — and reviles.

Kelly Rissman offers this profile.

Joe Sommerlad30 April 2024 13:00

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