Judge Expands Gag Order in Trump Civil Fraud Trial for Attorneys
In the ongoing civil fraud trial of former President Donald Trump, the judge overseeing the case, Justice Arthur Engoron, has expanded the gag order to include Trump’s attorneys. This decision comes after lengthy discussions about the judge’s communications with his law clerk during court proceedings this week.
Judge Engoron issued a written order on Friday, prohibiting Trump’s attorneys from making any further comments about the confidential communications between the judge and his staff, both inside and outside the courtroom. The judge cited the need to protect his staff from threats and physical harm, stating that the First Amendment right of defendants and their attorneys to comment on his staff is outweighed by this need for protection.
The judge emphasized that violating the gag order would result in serious sanctions. This move comes after Trump has already been fined twice for breaking the order. The first fine of $5,000 was imposed because a social media post attacking the judge’s clerk had not been taken down from Trump’s website. The second fine of $10,000 came after Trump seemed to reference the clerk when speaking to reporters outside the courtroom.
Trump’s legal team has consistently clashed with Judge Engoron regarding his clerk during the trial. They have accused her of bias and unfair influence over the judge. Trump attorney Chris Kise even claimed that there seemed to be “co-judging” taking place, with someone frequently handing information to the judge.
In response, Judge Engoron asserted his right to seek counsel from his clerk and declared that Trump’s legal team has no right to know the contents of their communications. He emphasized that the clerk is a civil servant who is simply following his instructions.
This situation is still developing, and further updates are expected to follow.