Judge imposes gag order on Donald Trump after ex-president trolls law clerk

New York: The judge overseeing Donald Trump’s fraud trial has placed a partial gag order on the former president after he posted a message to social media targeting court staff.

The move came on the second day of the civil trial against the incendiary Republican, who a judge ruled spent years fraudulently inflating the value of his properties for financial gain.

As he appeared in court to once again face off against Judge Arthur Engoron and New York Attorney-General Letitia James, Trump put up a post on his Truth Social website showing Allison Greenfield, the judge’s clerk, standing next to Democratic Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer.

In the picture, Trump mocked Greenfield as “Schumer’s girlfriend” and demanded that the case against him be dismissed.

“How disgraceful!” he lamented.

It is unclear what connection, if any, Schumer has with the clerk.

US Senator Chuck Schumer.Credit: AP

Nonetheless, the post was taken down during a lunch break, after which Engoron explained to the court that one of the defendants had posted a “disparaging, untrue and personally identifying post” about a staff member.

Engoron said he ordered it to be deleted and barred both sides from speaking about his staff in future, threatening “serious sanctions” if anyone did.

“Consider this statement a gag order,” the judge said.

“Personal attacks on members of my court staff are not appropriate and I will not tolerate it under any circumstance.”

Trump appears in court on day two of his civil trial for fraud in New York.Credit: AP

The move marked what was another dramatic day in downtown Manhattan as Trump – who is not required to be at the civil trial – opted to attend for a second day in a row to defend his reputation to the assembled media.

Prosecutors have accused Trump, his sons and their family business of fraudulently inflating the value of his properties to get better loan terms and lower insurance premiums, illegally generating more than $US1 billion of financial benefits.

The trial could lead to the dismantling of Trump’s business empire as he seeks to regain the presidency in 2024.

The judge last week already found Trump liable of committing widespread fraud and stripped his control over some of his signature New York properties. Six more arguments in James’ lawsuit remain to be tested at the trial.

James is now suing Trump for $US250 million ($392 million) in fines, and also wants a permanent ban on him and his sons running businesses in New York, plus a five-year commercial real estate ban for Trump and the Trump Organisation.

She is also expected to call Trump as a witness, along with his adult children: Eric, Donald Jr, and his favourite daughter Ivanka.

Trump, however, insists he is innocent and has used the court case to fundraise for his 2024 election campaign.

In an email soliciting donations on Tuesday – one of many that has been issued over the past few days – Trump described Engoron as a “far-left Democrat” who was out to get him to thwart his election campaign.

“I am once again attending the civil trial in New York where an anti-Trump judge is attempting to bring down the Trump Organisation and financially break me,” he wrote.

“Democrats are seeking to bring down the world-famous ‘Trump Tower’ and impose what some are calling the ‘corporate death penalty’ on me.”

The order came as the government’s first witness, Trump’s former accountant Donald Bender, testified for a second day as the attorney-general’s office tries to show that Trump and his family business deceived even the people reviewing his financial details.

Under questioning from Kevin Wallace, a lawyer in James’ office, Bender said financial statements he prepared for the Trump Organisation were largely based on self-reported figures.

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