Trump hit with gag order, barred from talking about witnesses in New York hush-money case
- Judge granted request for gag order made last month by Manhattan District Attorney’s office. Trial is expected to begin on April 15
- Trump has pleaded not guilty to falsifying business records to hide US$130,000 payment to porn star Stormy Daniels
Donald Trump on Tuesday was hit with a judge’s gag order sought by prosecutors in his coming criminal trial involving hush money paid to a porn star, restricting him from publicly commenting about witnesses and court staff.
Silencing Trump was necessary because of his “long-standing history of attacking witnesses, investigators, prosecutors, judges and others involved in legal proceedings against him,” prosecutors said.
Trump’s lawyers argued that a gag order would violate his right to free speech under the US Constitution’s First Amendment, leaving him defenceless against attacks by political opponents over the case.
Merchan separately ruled on March 7 that jurors were to remain anonymous except to Trump, his lawyers, prosecutors and a handful of others, after prosecutors highlighted Trump’s history of publicly deriding trial jurors and grand jurors.
Bragg’s case is one of four criminal indictments the Republican presidential candidate faces, with Trump pleading not guilty in all of the cases and portraying them as politically motivated.