New York judge imposes gag order on Trump in Bragg hush money case
New York Judge Juan Merchan has imposed a gag order on former President Trump in the hush-money payments case, granting Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s request.
Merchan issued the order against the 2024 GOP presumptive presidential nominee on Tuesday, pointing to his “prior extrajudicial statements,” saying they establish “a sufficient risk to the administration of justice.”
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Merchan ordered that Trump cannot make or direct others to make public statements about witnesses concerning their potential participation, or about counsel in the case — other than Bragg — or about court staff, DA staff or family members of staff.
Former President Donald Trump waves as he departs The Trump Building, located at 40 Wall Street, in Manhattan, New York on Monday, March 25, 2024. Earlier today, a New York Appeals Court slashed Trump’s bond by more than half in his case regarding alleged falsifying of business records, giving him 10 days to pay $175 million. (Adam Gray for Fox News Digital)
Merchan also ordered that Trump cannot make or direct others to make public statements about any prospective juror or chosen juror.
Merchan said in his decision that Trump has made statements in the past during other trials — likely referring to the months-long non-jury civil fraud trial stemming from New York Attorney General Letitia James’ case.
“lndeed, his statements were threatening, inflammatory, denigrating, and the targets of his statements ranged from local and federal officials, court and court sta( prosecutors and staff assigned to the cases, and private individuals including grand jurors performing their civic duty,” Merchan writes. “The consequences of those statements included not only fear on the part of the individual targeted, but also the assignment of increased security resources to investigate threats and protect the individuals and family members thereof.”
Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg. (Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)
The Trump campaign blasted the gag order as “unconstitutional,” saying it violates the First Amendment rights of Americans who follow Trump and listen to his speech.
“Judge Merchan’s unconstitutional Gag Order prevents President Trump—the leading candidate for President of the United States—from engaging in core political speech, which is entitled to the highest level of protection under the First Amendment,” Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung told Fox News Digital. “Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg, at the direction of Crooked Joe Biden, chose to indict President Trump in the middle of campaign season in a politically motivated attempt to derail his candidacy, and the First Amendment allows President Trump to speak out against this unconstitutional tyranny.”
Cheung added: “Worst of all, the gag order violates the civil rights of over 100 million Americans who follow President Trump and have a First Amendment right to receive and listen to his speech.”
Cheung told Fox News Digital that “American voters have a fundamental right to hear the uncensored voice of the leading candidate for the highest office in the land.”
“President Trump will keep fighting for our country and our Constitution,” Cheung said.
The order comes after Bragg, last month, requested an order preventing Trump from making statements attacking others involved in his legal cases, sought a protective order to prohibit the names and addresses of jurors from being disclosed to anyone other than attorneys and requested evidence and testimony regarding campaign finance be limited.
Trump had a gag order imposed on him in the James non-jury civil trial as well.
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Merchan announced on Monday that the trial will begin on April 15.
Bragg indicted Trump on 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree. Trump pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Bragg alleged that Trump “repeatedly and fraudulently falsified New York business records to conceal criminal conduct that hid damaging information from the voting public during the 2016 presidential election.”
The charges are related to alleged hush-money payments made during the 2016 presidential campaign.
In 2019, federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York opted not to charge Trump related to the payments made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal.
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The Federal Election Commission also tossed its investigation into the matter in 2021.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
