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NEW YORK - Former U.S. President Donald Trump has been fined $10,000 by Justice Arthur Engoron for the second violation of a gag order in his ongoing civil fraud trial, according to court sources. The fine comes after Trump made public comments criticizing court staff during a trial break.

The gag order was initially imposed by Engoron on October 3, following a social media post by Trump in which he shared a photo of the judge's top clerk with U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer falsely calling her Schumer's "girlfriend." The order prohibited Trump from disparaging court staff.

During the trial break on Wednesday, Trump told reporters that the judge and a "partisan" person sitting beside him were biased. Engoron deemed these comments to be a "blatant" violation of the gag order.

Before being fined, Trump briefly testified and asserted that he was referring to Engoron and his former lawyer and fixer, Michael Cohen, during his hallway remarks. However, the judge rejected this interpretation, stating that the "partisan" individual Trump mentioned was not Cohen.

Engoron's clerk has been present alongside the judge throughout the trial, as standard practice in New York state court.

One of Trump's lawyers, Alina Habba, raised concerns about the clerk's behavior, claiming to have witnessed her rolling her eyes while Cohen was testifying. Habba considered this behavior to be "completely inappropriate."

This recent fine follows a previous $5,000 penalty imposed on Trump by Engoron on October 20 for his failure to remove a post disparaging the clerk. The judge warned that further violations could lead to more severe sanctions, including a possible jail term. Engoron had previously emphasized that any comments directed towards court staff were intolerable and would not be tolerated under any circumstances.

The civil fraud trial, brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James, alleges that Trump and his family business, the Trump Organization, manipulated asset values and net worth to deceive lenders and insurers. The outcome of the trial could potentially have significant ramifications for Trump's business empire.

On Tuesday, Cohen testified against his former boss, claiming that Trump inflated the value of his real estate assets arbitrarily to secure favorable insurance premiums. Cohen also asserted that Trump doctored financial statements to align property values with Trump's desired figures.

Cohen's testimony, while potentially bolstering the case against Trump, also faces scrutiny due to his admitted past of deceit. Cohen pleaded guilty in 2018 to tax fraud, campaign finance violations, and perjury and received a three-year prison sentence.

The trial primarily focuses on determining damages. Attorney General Letitia James seeks at least $250 million in fines, a permanent ban on Trump and his sons, Donald Jr and Eric, from conducting business in New York, and a five-year commercial real estate prohibition for Trump and the Trump Organization.

As the frontrunner for the Republican nomination in the 2024 U.S. election, Trump's ongoing legal battles have the potential to impact his political ambitions. The trial continues as the court awaits Engoron's final decision.