Judge Juan Merchan instructed prosecutors on Friday to advise Michael Cohen, former attorney to Donald Trump, to refrain from making any statements regarding Trump or the ongoing New York v. Trump case. Merchan emphasized that he would direct the prosecutors to convey to Cohen the judge's request to abstain from further comments on the case or Trump.
Furthermore, Merchan directed the prosecutors to inform Cohen that this directive was issued by the court. Trump is currently subject to a gag order that prohibits him from discussing specific aspects of the case and individuals involved in it. The defense team had previously sought a gag order for Cohen as well.
Judge Merchan has imposed fines on Trump multiple times for violating the gag order and even warned of potential jail time if the violations persist. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and the prosecutors have accused Trump of over a dozen violations of the gag order, resulting in fines totaling $9,000.
Recently, Merchan fined the former president an additional $1,000 for another violation but expressed concern that the current fine structure of $1,000 per violation may not be a sufficient deterrent. A court filing explicitly notified Trump that future breaches of the court's orders could lead to imprisonment as a form of punishment.
