Former President Donald Trump on Tuesday made good on his promise to appeal a partial gag order imposed against him in the federal case accusing him of illegally trying to remain in power after his 2020 election loss.
U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan’s muzzle prevents Trump from attacking prosecutors, court staff or their families, or discussing potential witnesses or testimony.
The 77-year-old’s legal team formally filed a notice of appeal in federal court in DC.
Hours after Chutkan announced the gag order from the courthouse on Monday, Trump criticized the judge during a campaign rally in Iowa, claiming she “hasn’t liked me in my entire life” and calling the order “unconstitutional.”
The 45th president also boasted that he “has been impeached more than Al Capone” and said he was “willing to go to jail if that’s what it takes for our country to win.”
Under the partial gag order, all parties in the case are prohibited from making statements that “point to (1) the special prosecutor prosecuting this case or his staff; (2) the defense attorney or his staff; (3) any member of this court staff or other support staff; or (4) any reasonably foreseeable witness or the substance of his or her testimony.”
Donald Trump has denounced his mounting legal problems as election interference. REUTERS Judge Tanya Chutkan imposed a gag order on the former president, arguing that the measure was typical of the defendants with their behavior. AP
Chutkan indicated to the court that Trump can still broadly criticize the Justice Department and suggest that the case against him is politically motivated.
“You keep talking about censorship as if the defendant has unlimited First Amendment rights. He doesn’t,” Chutkan told Trump attorney John Lauro at one point during Monday’s hearing.
“Here we are not talking about censorship,” added the judge. “We are talking about restrictions to ensure that there is a fair administration of justice in this case.”
Trump’s lawyer yelled foul, suggesting the order could hurt him on the campaign trail as he fights for the presidency.
Jack Smith leads two federal criminal cases against Donald Trump.AP
Special prosecutor Jack Smith requested the gag order last month, citing some of the former president’s social media tirades against him and key players in the case.
“[This] “It is nothing more than an obvious attempt by the Biden Administration to illegally silence his most prominent political opponent, who has now taken a commanding lead in the polls,” Trump’s legal team argued in a filing last month.
Trump’s trial in the case is scheduled for March 4, 2024, one day before the Super Tuesday presidential primaries. His team has tried, without success, to delay the start date.
Donald Trump will appear in a New York court on October 17 for his $250 million civil fraud trial. Gregorio P. Mango
The former president pleaded not guilty to all four charges in the 2020 election case on August 3.
He also faces a 34-count case in Manhattan for allegedly concealing hush money payments, a 40-count indictment of Smith for allegedly hoarding a tranche of national security documents at his Mar-a-Lago resort, and 13 charges for alleged electoral subversion in Georgia.
Trump pleaded not guilty in all of those cases and called them an effort by Biden to tip the balance in the 2024 elections and a “witch hunt.”
He is the first current or former president of the United States to be criminally charged.
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Source: vtt.edu.vn