Judge Merchan threatens Trump with jail time for gag order violations in hush money trial

“DJT needs to sign the check”

Documents displayed for the jury showed that many of the checks to Cohen — the core of the case — were paid directly out of Trump’s personal bank account.

Under questions from prosecutor Matthew Colangelo, McConney, who oversaw Trump’s company’s general ledgers, walked the court through two critical pieces of evidence: a bank statement and notepad scribbles memorializing the transactions.

In “chicken scratch” handwriting, they showed how McConney and convicted ex-finance chief Allen Weisselberg arrived at the $420,000 they sent Cohen in installments of $35,000 and how they’d “wire funds monthly from President Trump’s personal account.”

“DJT needs to sign the check,” read one notation displayed in court.

McConney said that then-President Trump was the only signatory for checks coming out of his account, which meant the controller had to ensure they were sent to the White House for his signature.

“Somehow, we’d have to get a package down to the White House, get the president to sign the checks, get the checks returned to us and then send the checks out.”

Gag order warning follows previous fines

Merchan’s warning came after prosecutors last week flagged four more instances of Trump potentially violating a gag order implemented before the trial started by criticizing witnesses and jurors on his social media website, Truth Social, and in media interviews. Merchan has fined him $9,000 so far.

The gag order prohibits Trump from making public statements — or directing others to make them— about the jury, witnesses, potential witnesses, prosecutors, court staff, and the relatives of all trial participants. The judge expanded it to include his own relatives after Trump publicly targeted Merchan’s daughter online.

Merchan, who did not find Trump’s comments about witnesses Michael Cohen and David Pecker clearly violated the order, said Trump’s comments about jurors were an unambiguous breach.

“Defendant not only called into question the integrity, and therefore the legitimacy of these proceedings, but again raised the specter of fear for the safety of the jurors and of their loved ones,” the judge wrote.

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