Former President Donald Trump may be barred from speaking publicly about the evidence in his election fraud case, after prosecutors requested a gag order citing his social media threats.
Trump posts “witness intimidation” on Truth Social
Trump, who was indicted on four federal charges on Tuesday for allegedly trying to orchestrate a fake electoral college vote scheme to overturn the 2020 election results, pleaded not guilty at his arraignment on Thursday. However, he also posted a message on his new platform Truth Social, saying “IF YOU GO AFTER ME, I’M COMING AFTER YOU!”.
This message was seen by many as a form of witness intimidation and an attempt to influence the jury. A former spokesperson for Trump, Anthony Scaramucci, called it “chilling” and said it could backfire on him in court.
Prosecutors seek protective order for evidence
Justice Department Special counsel Jack Smith, who is leading the prosecution against Trump, filed a motion on Friday evening asking the federal judge overseeing the case to issue a protective order for evidence, citing Trump’s social media threats.
Smith argued that Trump’s case needs a strict order preventing him from mentioning details from discovery documents and evidence in public, as he has done before in other legal matters involving witnesses, judges, attorneys, and others.
Smith wrote in the filing that if Trump were to use details from the evidence in his public posts, it could have a “harmful chilling effect” on witnesses or adversely affect the fair administration of justice in the case.
Defense rejects proposed protective order drafts
Smith claimed that the prosecution has tried to reach an agreement on a protective order with Trump’s legal team, but without success. He said that the prosecution has proposed two different drafts of the order, both of which were rejected by the defense. The defense also proposed their own version, which Smith called inadequate.
Smith said that the government wants to provide Trump with discovery as soon as possible, including some documents that he is not entitled to at this stage of the proceedings. However, he said that without a protective order in place, the prosecution cannot supply the documents to the defense as quickly as they would like.
Defense accuses prosecution of “fast-moving railroad”
Trump’s attorney John Lauro criticized Smith’s team for pushing the case forward too quickly and accused them of having no concern for justice. He said that the prosecution is trying to rush the trial and deny Trump his constitutional rights.
Lauro also said that Trump’s social media posts are protected by the First Amendment and that he has the right to defend himself against false accusations. He said that the prosecution is trying to silence Trump and prevent him from communicating with his supporters.
Trump faces another federal case over classified documents
Trump is also facing another federal case over his alleged mishandling of classified documents. Smith indicted him in June for allegedly sharing sensitive information with foreign leaders and unauthorized individuals. Trump has denied any wrongdoing and said that he has the authority to declassify any information he wants.
The two cases are expected to go to trial next year and could result in prison sentences for Trump if he is convicted. Trump has maintained that he is innocent and that both cases are part of a political witch hunt against him.
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