Trump fined $5,000 for social media post violating gag order in fraud trial

Judge Arthur Engoron avoided holding the ex-president in contempt for now, but reserved the right to do so

A New York judge fined former US president Donald Trump $5,000 on Friday after a disparaging social media post about a key court staffer in his New York civil fraud case was allowed to linger on his campaign website after the judge ordered it deleted.

Judge Arthur Engoron avoided holding Trump in contempt, for now, but reserved the right to do so - and possibly even put him in jail - if he continued to violate a gag order barring parties in the case from personal attacks on court staff.