The team of New York state Attorney General Letitia James is pushing for the reinstatement of restrictions on remarks made by ex-President Donald Trump in the context of a trial on fraud allegations from James. She accuses the Trumps of a years-long pattern of financial misconduct hinging on allegedly deceptive valuations for various assets.
Judge Arthur Engoron, who is presiding over the trial, previously imposed a gag order on Trump that blocked public attacks on court staff after the ex-president publicly singled out a clerk for the judge, even directing followers of his to a social media profile evidently belonging to this individual. However, that order has now been put on hold amid appeals from Trump, who is also challenging a gag order in the January 6-related criminal case he’s facing from federal prosecutors led by Special Counsel Jack Smith. Here, there has been a pattern of threats faced by the New York court in tandem with the Trump trial, during which Trump’s public commentary antagonizing other parties involved in the proceedings has been consistent.
Referring to Trump’s requests, James’ team insisted to the higher court handling further stages of the gag order dispute that a “speedy denial is necessary to ensure the safety of [the] Supreme Court’s staff and the integrity and the orderly administration of the proceedings through the end of the trial.” “Supreme Court” refers to Engoron’s court. The terminology is used in New York for courts other than the state’s highest.
Bizarrely, Trump’s recent commentary oriented around the New York trial has included sharing an article online that suggested drug use on the part of the judge’s clerk he’s been targeting. Trump quickly returned to referencing the courtroom figure in public commentary after the temporary halt to this disputed gag order. In a familiar turn, he’s also called for retaliatory prosecution of both James and Engoron. Trump’s team has to file their reply in the gag order dispute by next Monday.
