Former President Donald Trump’s inner circle expresses outrage at a gag order enforced by New York State Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan, stating it severely hampers Trump’s campaign activities.
During the third week of Trump’s Manhattan trial, Merchan found the 2024 Republican presidential nominee in contempt of court and levied a $9,000 fine for repeated violations of the gag order. Merchan also threatened imprisonment if Trump persists in flouting the order.
The order prohibits Trump and his campaign from discussing Matthew Colangelo, a lead prosecutor in the case who previously served in the Biden administration’s Department of Justice before joining the Manhattan District Attorney’s office.
Questions arise regarding Colangelo’s transition from the DOJ to the Manhattan DA’s office while investigations into Trump, including one involving a payment to Stormy Daniels, were underway.
District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who campaigned on convicting Trump, indicted him on 34 counts of falsifying business records, to which Trump pleaded not guilty.
The gag order extends to Trump’s former lawyer, Michael Cohen, who is a crucial witness in the case and has faced criticism for discussing it on social media.
Trump’s allies argue that these restrictions severely constrain the campaign’s ability to counter attacks and constitute unprecedented interference in an election campaign.
Critics of the gag order, including Mike Davis of the Article III Project, decry it as unconstitutional and accuse the Biden administration of using it to stifle Trump’s political voice.
The gag order’s impact is felt across the campaign, preventing Trump and his team from responding to allegations effectively.
Republican strategist Garrett Ventry accuses Democrats of resorting to interference tactics, highlighting Judge Merchan’s alleged political bias and Bragg’s campaign promises to prosecute Trump.
The gag order also complicates the campaign’s strategy regarding potential witnesses, such as Cohen, whose testimony is deemed critical to the case.
The Trump campaign’s National Press Secretary, Karoline Leavitt, condemns the order as a violation of First Amendment rights and calls it a “sham show trial.”
House Judiciary Chairman Rep. Jim Jordan calls for accountability, urging Republicans in Congress to defend Trump and challenge what they perceive as interference in the judicial process.
