NEW YORK - Manhattan prosecutors have raised concerns about former President Donald Trump potentially violating a gag order in his hush-money criminal case by targeting the judge's daughter and spreading misinformation on social media. The Manhattan district attorney's office has requested Judge Juan M. Merchan to clarify and confirm the boundaries of the gag order that was issued on Tuesday.
They are urging Trump to cease any attacks on family members immediately. Assistant District Attorney Joshua Steinglass wrote a letter to Judge Merchan, arguing that Trump's recent statements about Judge Merchan's daughter constitute a violation of the gag order. The order explicitly prohibits any statements aimed at interfering with or harassing the court’s staff or their families.
Steinglass maintains that Trump should face consequences for breaching the order. Trump's legal team, led by Todd Blanche and Susan Necheles, disputes the district attorney's interpretation of the gag order. They argue that the order does not restrict Trump from commenting on Loren Merchan, Judge Merchan's daughter, who works as a political consultant.
The defense attorneys assert that the scope of the order does not extend to prohibiting Trump from discussing individuals outside of the court proceedings. The criminal trial, which revolves around accusations of Trump falsifying payment records to suppress negative stories during his 2016 presidential campaign, is scheduled to commence on April 15. Trump has consistently denied any wrongdoing and pleaded not guilty to the 34 counts of falsifying business records.
In a series of posts on his Truth Social platform, Trump claimed that Loren Merchan profits from working against him and falsely accused her of sharing a photo depicting him in prison. However, a spokesperson for New York’s state court system confirmed that the social media account Trump referenced does not belong to Loren Merchan and has been inactive for some time. Additionally, Trump criticized the gag order on his Truth Social posts, labeling it as “illegal, un-American, unConstitutional.
†He expressed frustration with Judge Merchan and accused him of violating his First Amendment rights by attempting to silence him in response to political adversaries' actions. The gag order, requested by prosecutors, prohibits Trump from making or instructing others to make public statements regarding jurors or potential witnesses in the hush-money trial, including Michael Cohen and Stormy Daniels. It also bars any statements intended to interfere with or harass the court’s staff, prosecution team, or their families.
Furthermore, the order allows Trump to criticize Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who leads the prosecution, but Steinglass insists that family members of all individuals covered by the gag order should be protected from Trump's attacks. Steinglass has urged Judge Merchan to clearly convey to Trump that the gag order extends to all family members referenced in the order and to instruct Trump to cease his recent conduct. Violating the gag order could lead to Trump being held in contempt of court, fined, or even imprisoned.
Trump's legal team has raised constitutional concerns about restricting his speech while he is campaigning for president and facing criminal charges. They have indicated that if prosecutors push the issue, they will seek to address it through litigation, potentially complicating trial preparations as jury selection is slated to begin in just over two weeks.
English (US)