Judge Engoron Tears Into Donald Trump in Courtroom

The judge in Donald Trump's civil fraud trial warned that the former president was putting the lives of court staff in danger and rejected his claims that he was speaking to reporters about a witness, not a court clerk.

Trump was fined $10,000 after breaking a gagging order and allegedly putting a court clerk's life at risk.

"As a trier of fact, I find that the witness is not credible," Judge Arthur Engoron said as he imposed the fine.

The trial stems from a $250 million lawsuit New York Attorney General Letitia James filed in 2022 alleging that Trump and top executives at The Trump Organization conspired to increase his net worth by billions of dollars on financial statements provided to banks and insurers to make deals and secure loans. Trump has denied any wrongdoing.