Staff Reports
In a bold move, Donald Trump’s legal team has requested that the gag order on his New York civil fraud trial remain paused. They argue that, despite the judge and his clerk receiving despicable threats, this should not impede the ex-president’s right to free speech. After all, as the potential 2024 Republican presidential nominee, Trump must be able to freely criticize the court presiding over his trial without fear of repercussions.
Trump lawyers say threats against judge in NY fraud trial are ‘vile,’ but ask to keep gag order lifted https://t.co/Kf89FElI3A pic.twitter.com/79f3JNeP81
— New York Post (@nypost) November 27, 2023
The recent filing from Trump’s team comes in response to the Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron’s lawyer advocating for the gag order to remain in place due to the overwhelming number of threats made against the judge and his chief law clerk, Allison Greenfield. Nonetheless, the former president scored a temporary victory when a New York appellate judge lifted the gag order earlier this month, citing concerns about Trump’s right to free speech.
The initial gag order was put in place after Trump posted a photo of Greenfield with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and falsely labeled her as “Schumer’s girlfriend,” insinuating that she was biased against him. This sparked a series of events that led to Greenfield’s personal information being compromised, leading to daily harassment and anti-Semitic attacks.
Despite the severity of these threats, Trump’s legal team maintains that they do not present an imminent danger and should not hinder the ex-president’s ability to comment on the court’s staff. They argue that Greenfield willingly put herself in the media spotlight, despite alleged security concerns, and that the threats, while reprehensible, do not constitute a clear and present danger of imminent harm.
The trial has been ongoing for nine weeks, with Trump set to return to the stand as the final defense witness on December 11, and his son Eric Trump scheduled to testify for the second time on December 6. The Attorney General’s office declined to comment on the latest filing.
In the face of these challenges, Trump’s legal team is fiercely advocating for his right to free speech, positioning themselves as defenders of the ex-president’s ability to critique the court presiding over his trial. The continued back-and-forth over the gag order only adds to the drama and tension surrounding Trump’s legal battles.
