Bragg Files Motion Over Gag Order
Prosecutors have accused former President Trump of repeatedly violating the gag order placed on him in his New York hush-money case. This comes after prosecutors moved to hold him in contempt earlier this week for criticizing potential witnesses Stormy Daniels and Michael Cohen. The gag order, issued by Judge Juan Merchan, prohibits Trump from commenting on witnesses, prosecutors, court staff, and jurors in the case, with the exception of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.
According to court pool reports, prosecutors alleged on Thursday that Trump has violated the gag order seven more times since Monday. They cited Trump’s social media posts linking to articles calling Cohen a “serial perjurer” and accusing “undercover liberal activists” of lying to the judge to get on the jury. Prosecutors filed a motion requesting the posts be included in next week’s hearing.
“It’s ridiculous and it has to stop,” prosecutor Chris Conroy said, per CNN. Conroy argued that Trump’s actions constitute a willful violation of the gag order. He pointed to the expanded gag order issued by Merchan earlier this month, which bars Trump from attacking family members of those involved in the case. Conroy said that Trump’s comments are related to the ongoing campaign against Cohen and should be considered a violation of the order.
However, Trump’s lawyer Emil Bove argued that the social media posts do not establish willful violations of the gag order. He said that reposting other people’s public comments should not be considered a violation. Bove also argued that Trump’s comments are political in nature and should be protected under the order’s exception for political remarks. He added that the judge had previously told his lawyers to speak to their client about complying with the gag order.
Merchan did not rule on the alleged violations on Thursday, saying he will wait for next week’s hearing. The New York Times reported that the judge issued a gag order against Trump last month after concerns were raised about potential influence on jurors. The expanded order was issued after Trump’s repeated attacks on potential witnesses, including Daniels and Cohen, on social media and in public statements.
In response to the allegations, Trump’s legal team argued that the social media posts were not a violation of the order. They stated that the posts merely highlighted some of the “ambiguous” language in the order and that Cohen was attacking Trump in connection to the ongoing campaign. The judge did not rule on this argument but said it will be discussed further at the hearing next week.
This is not the first time Trump has been accused of violating the gag order in this case. Prosecutors had previously requested he be held in contempt for three alleged violations, including comments made during a Fox News interview. The judge had warned Trump that his actions could result in stricter penalties if he continued to violate the order.
In their request to hold Trump in contempt, prosecutors asked for a financial penalty of $3,000. However, with the addition of the new alleged violations, they are now considering further punishment. The prosecution team has until next week’s hearing to determine their next course of action.
Merchan said that the issue will be addressed in more detail at the hearing, where the request for contempt charges will also be discussed. This case is ongoing, and the potential penalties for violating the gag order will continue to be a central issue. The judge has emphasized the importance of maintaining a fair trial and has stated that any further violations will be taken seriously. The hearing will be a determining factor in whether Trump will face further consequences for his actions.