Limited gag order issued against Trump regarding fraud trial

Trump was present in court for the second day of the trial held at the state Supreme Court in Manhattan.

The presiding judge, Arthur Engoron, reprimanded Trump for a post he made on a social media platform about court staff and issued a "limited gag order" against him.

Engoron warned that he would impose serious sanctions on those who defy this decision, stating, "Personal attacks on any member of my court staff are unacceptable, inappropriate, and I will not tolerate them."

In his social media post, Trump had claimed that one of Engoron's staff members was the girlfriend of New York Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer, writing, "How disgraceful. This case should be dismissed immediately."

"I WILL TESTIFY AT AN APPROPRIATE TIME"

On the second day of the trial, the testimony of Donald Bender, Trump's retired accountant, who took the witness stand as the prosecution's first witness, continued.

Trump, who voluntarily came to court for the second day, answered a question from reporters during a court break about whether he would testify in the case by saying, "Yes, I will testify at an appropriate time."

Trump is among the individuals requested to testify in the case by both the prosecution and his legal team.

At the conclusion of the trial, which is expected to last until mid-December, Judge Engoron will reach a decision on issues such as how much of a fine will be imposed on Trump's companies and whether their licenses to do business in New York state will be revoked.

Because the case is a civil fraud trial rather than a criminal one, and because the defense did not request one, there is no jury in the court. No one is expected to receive a prison sentence as a result of the trial.

The former US President, who did not attend many of the hearings in previous cases opened against him on charges of "sexual assault" and "tax fraud," had been considered a "surprise development" when he announced that he would attend the hearings of this case despite having no obligation to testify.

ABOUT THE FRAUD TRIAL

In the indictment where New York Attorney General Letitia James alleges that Trump, his three children, and his company inflated their wealth by 3.6 billion dollars, she is requesting that the judge ban Trump and his children from ever forming companies in New York again, prohibit them from purchasing commercial real estate for 5 years, and impose a 250 million dollar fine.

In the trial opened on charges of "defrauding numerous people and institutions in the real estate sector for years," Judge Arthur Engoron had ruled that the accusations that the former President and his company, the "Trump Organization," defrauded banks, insurers, and business people by overvaluing assets and exaggerating net worth in deals and financing documents would be heard in court.

In his 35-page decision, Engoron stated that Trump, his company, and his executives consistently lied about their annual financial status to obtain loans on favorable terms and lower insurance premiums.