Former federal prosecutor Jeffrey Toobin Tuesday took a harsh view of the contempt order handed down by Manhattan criminal court judge Juan Merchan to former President Donald Trump.
“I think it is historic and I think we need to pause and recognize what a big deal this,” Toobin told a CNN panel Tuesday night. “This is a finding of criminal contempt that had to be proved beyond a reasonable doubt, and that’s what the judge did.”
Trump has not been convicted in his criminal hush money case and has pleaded not guilty to charges he falsified business records to cover up hush money paid to adult film star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 presidential election.
But Toobin laid emphasis on the court where Trump was found Tuesday to have violated a limited gag order, fined $9,000 and warned jail “might be necessary” should the former president test the order’s limits again.
“This is not a civil judgment,” Toobin said. “This is not a slip-slap on the wrist,”
Toobin then admitted he might be the lone person to take such a harsh view of Merchan’s ruling.
“Will, the voters care? Beats the hell out of me,” Toobin said. “But this is something that I think is worth recognizing that has never come close to happening before in American history.”
