Trump’s Gag Order In New York Remains In Place After State’s Highest Court Rules Against Him

New York’s highest court declined former President Donald Trump’s request to terminate his gag order.

The former president wanted to lift the gag order now that his trial is over, but the courts have denied his request. Based on the prosecution’s request, the gag order was put into effect by Judge Juan Merchan, who oversaw Trump’s trial in his hush-money case.

The gag order prohibited Trump from speaking publicly about witnesses, jurors, prosecutors, court staff and family members of participants during his trial. Trump was later found guilty of 34 felony charges related to business fraud after providing hush money payments to adult film actress Stormy Daniels. The gag order did not prohibit Trump from speaking about Manhattan Attorney General Alvin Bragg or Merchan.

Trump attempted to have his gag order lifted before his sentencing in July, but Bragg’s office fought back at this attempt. It stated that the former president has a “well-documented history of leveling threatening, inflammatory and denigrating remarks against trial participants.” Additionally, his office argued that they must protect the integrity of the trial through sentencing. 

Trump violated the gag order 10 times early in the trial and was fined $10,000 by Merchan. If he continued to violate the gag order, the prospect of jailing him was mentioned.

Trump has 30 days to appeal this decision. His attorneys have argued that the gag order restricts Trump’s ability to make political speeches during his presidential campaign against President Joe Biden (D).

“This Gag Order restricts President Trump’s core political speech on matters of central importance at the height of his Presidential campaign, where he is the leading candidate, and thus it violates the fundamental right of every American voter to hear from the leading candidate for President on matters of enormous public importance,” his attorneys wrote.

Article by Hannah Molayal