A New York judge imposed a gag order on former President Donald Trump in his Manhattan hush money trial.
The gag order prevents Trump from publicly bashing witnesses, prosecutors, and jurors involved in the trial, something the former president has been known for across his recent criminal cases. The order was imposed at the request of the prosecutor, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.
The gag order forbids Trump from making “extrajudicial statements” directed at people in the case.
In his decision, while hearing First Amendment concerns, Judge Juan Merchan ruled that Trump’s “prior extrajudicial statements establishes a sufficient risk to the administration of justice … and there exists no less restrictive means to prevent such risk.”
The trial is centered on an alleged hush money payment made on behalf of Trump to porn star Stormy Daniels to cover up a purported affair before the 2016 election. The indictment was the first of four for Trump, which have complicated his 2024 election campaign.
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Trump has repeatedly denounced the case as a “witch hunt.”
Trump was also the target of a civil fraud trial in New York carried out by New York Attorney General Letitia James. A judge ruled in February that Trump repeatedly lied about his wealth on financial statements given to banks and others to secure loans and make deals, fining him more than $355 million in penalties. Trump appealed the decision and denies that he tried to deceive anyone.
