The judge overseeing Donald Trump's criminal hush money trial has fined the former US president $9,000 (€8,000) for statements that he found violated a gag order in the case.
Justice Juan Merchan's order came as Mr Trump's trial was due to resume in New York with testimony from a banker familiar with accounts involved in his alleged scheme to influence the 2016 election by covering up a sex scandal.
Mr Trump, the Republican candidate in the 2024 presidential election, is charged with falsifying business records to conceal a $130,000 payment to adult film actor Stormy Daniels in exchange for her silence about a sexual encounter she said she had with him in 2006.
He has pleaded not guilty and denied having sex with Ms Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford.
The historic criminal trial is the first of a former US president and began on 22 April.
Roughly two dozen Trump supporters rallied outside the courthouse today, chanting his name and waving banners that read "TRUMP 24".
A local Republican organisation had called for supporters to turn out after Mr Trump complained that few people were protesting the trial.
Banker Garry Farro, who is not accused of wrongdoing, testified on Friday about financial records filed by Mr Trump's onetime lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen, who prosecutors say helped carry out the scheme.
The former president is required to attend the trial and has said he could instead be campaigning ahead of his rematch with Democratic President Joe Biden in the 5 November election.
The criminal case is one of four pending against Mr Trump, but could be the only one to go to trial and result in a verdict before the election.
'Catch and kill' scheme - former publisher
The opening of the trial was dominated last week by four days of testimony by a former tabloid publisher who said he suppressed potentially damaging stories about Mr Trump.
David Pecker, 72, outlined a scheme known as "catch and kill," which involved buying and then burying salacious stories that could have been embarrassing to the real estate tycoon and harmed his campaign.
The former National Enquirer publisher was not personally involved in the payment to Ms Daniels, but prosecutors used his testimony to demonstrate that "catch and kill" was commonly used by Mr Trump and Mr Cohen.
Mr Pecker told the court he paid $30,000 (€28,000) to kill a story from a Trump Tower doorman peddling an apparently false claim that Mr Trump had fathered a child out of wedlock with a maid.
He said $150,000 (€140,000) was paid to squash a story from Karen McDougal, a Playboy model who claimed to have had a year-long affair with the former president.
The case, heard by 12 jurors and six alternates, is expected to last between six and eight weeks.
In addition, Mr Trump has been indicted in Washington and Georgia on charges of conspiring to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election won by Mr Biden.
He also faces charges in Florida of mishandling classified documents after leaving the White House.
