A New York appeals court on Thursday denied former President Donald Trump’s effort to throw out the limited gag order in his New York criminal “hush money” case.
A panel of five judges from New York’s mid-level appeals court rejected Trump’s argument the gag order was no longer necessary since the former president’s trial concluded, determining that the “fair administration of justice necessarily includes sentencing.”
Trump’s sentencing, originally scheduled for last month, was postponed until Sept. 18 in light of the Supreme Court’s ruling on presidential immunity.
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally at the New Holland Arena in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, on July 31, 2024.
Joe Lamberti/AFP via Getty Images
Judge Juan Merchan imposed the gag order in March, prohibiting Trump from making public comments about jurors, witnesses, court staff and individual prosecutors in the case other than Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. Merchan held Trump in criminal contempt 10 times for violating the gag order, fined the former president $10,000, and threatened to imprison him if he violated the gag order again.
Merchan lifted some of the gag order in June related to jurors and witnesses, but left intact a portion of the gag order preventing statements about court staff, prosecutors and their families.
New York’s Appellate Division found the remaining provisions of the gag order were justified in part due to the continued threats to Bragg and his staff.
“Contrary to petitioner’s contentions, the People’s evidentiary submissions in opposition to his motion in Supreme Court demonstrate that threats received by District Attorney staff after the jury verdict continued to pose a significant and imminent threat,” the ruling said.
Trump was found guilty in May on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records related to a 2016 hush money payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels in order to boost his electoral prospects in the 2016 presidential election.
Former President Donald Trump’s appeal for a gag order in a hush money case has been denied by a federal judge, allowing the case to proceed with public scrutiny. The case involves allegations that Trump and his former attorney, Michael Cohen, paid hush money to two women who claimed to have had affairs with Trump before he became president.
The denial of the gag order comes as a blow to Trump, who has been seeking to keep details of the case out of the public eye. In his appeal, Trump argued that allowing the case to proceed without a gag order would violate his right to a fair trial and could prejudice potential jurors against him.
However, Judge Lorna Schofield rejected Trump’s arguments, stating that there was no evidence to suggest that a gag order was necessary to protect his right to a fair trial. She also noted that Trump had already made numerous public statements about the case, which had been widely reported in the media.
The hush money case has been a source of controversy for Trump since it first came to light during his presidency. The payments to the two women, Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal, were made in the run-up to the 2016 election and were allegedly intended to buy their silence about their alleged affairs with Trump.
The case has raised questions about whether the payments constituted illegal campaign contributions and whether Trump and Cohen violated campaign finance laws. Both Trump and Cohen have denied any wrongdoing, but the case has continued to dog Trump even after he left office.
With the denial of the gag order, the hush money case is likely to remain in the spotlight for the foreseeable future. The decision by Judge Schofield ensures that the proceedings will be open to public scrutiny, allowing the American people to form their own opinions about the allegations against Trump and Cohen.
Overall, the denial of the gag order is a victory for transparency and accountability in the legal system. It ensures that important cases like the hush money case are not shielded from public view and allows for a fair and impartial resolution of the allegations against Trump and Cohen.
