Does anyone actually get sentenced to prison for violating a gag order issued by a New York judge? Yes, indeed they do. Who, you ask and for how long? I got you.
One glaring example is Manhattan real estate developer, Abe Hirschfeld who was sentenced to 90 days of jail in March of 2000 after being found guilt of contempt of court for violating a gag order.
And, wouldn’t you know, Donald Trump chatted with him face-to-face at a book signing in January of 2005. I wonder what special message Donald inscribed for Abe. This convo took place years after Hirschfeld served time for the gag order violation. And here’s the clip from the New York Times documenting sentence for the gag-order violation. This piece was so unremarkable that it appeared on page six of Section B.
This was the least of the problems Hirschfeld faced. After a hung jury, he was at the time on trial once again. A few month later he was convicted, and then in August of 2000, as reported by the New York Times, “he was sentenced to one to three years in jail for criminal solicitation for an unsuccessful 1996 plot to kill a longtime business partner, Stanley Stahl, a real estate magnate with whom he feuded bitterly.”
He did not surrender without a fight. The New York Post reported that he was dragged off to prison screaming, ““I’m not going! Go all to hell!” But to Rikers Island he went.
After serving only two years of his sentence, Hirschfeld emerged from prison and revived his previous political ambitions. Under the “Honest Abe” moniker, he ran for office again.
This time, challenging Chuck Schumer for his seat in the United States Senate. Hirschfeld ran under the “Builders Party,” and managed to garner a little over 16,000 votes. Seriously.
Oh my goddess!
Fascinating. I vaguely remember the hit-man trial because it was so bizarre.