The office of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is prepared to pursue a new set of criminal allegations against Trump if he violates the terms of a recently imposed order that broadly blocked his usage of evidence from an already existent case in public statements.
He is still free to discuss the case in general, but materials that prosecutors make available during the discovery period can not be shared to third parties under restrictions that cover social media platforms, where Trump obviously speaks about his many legal troubles at a consistent pace. He is also under special restrictions around the access of certain evidentiary materials (known as Limited Dissemination Materials) and is generally blocked from accessing images showing the contents of witnesses’ cellphones, absent special court authorization. (He can access certain contents.)
Trump recently made a (virtual) appearance in New York court to go over the terms of the order, which was issued amid his prosecution over allegedly falsified business records that were connected to hush money given to women with whom Trump allegedly had affairs.
Trump and his team have claimed that the restrictions on his public commentary, which prosecutors sought, violate his legal rights to free speech. “Should Defendant violate the terms of any protective order issued by the Court, the People may seek to enforce its terms by initiating a prosecution for Criminal Contempt in the Second Degree,” Bragg’s office said in a court filing that was made last month but was highlighted by NBC more recently. If he were to violate the terms of this order, Trump could presumably also face court-issued penalties from New York Judge Juan Merchan, who is handling the case, though Donald has sought a move into the federal court system. At present, this case against Trump is scheduled to go to trial in March next year, when voting in the presidential primaries — where Trump is leading on Republicans’ side but not a shoe-in — will be underway.
