Former President Donald Trump walks out of the courtroom to make comments to members of the media after a jury convicted him of felony crimes for falsifying business records in a scheme to illegally influence the 2016 election, at Manhattan Criminal Court, May 30, 2024, in New York.
On Tuesday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit rejected President Donald Trump’s request to lift a gag order in the hush money case involving his former lawyer Michael Cohen. The ruling upholds a lower court decision that prohibits Trump and Cohen from publicly discussing the case.
The hush money case stems from payments made by Cohen to two women who claimed to have had affairs with Trump before he became president. The payments were made in the weeks leading up to the 2016 election in an effort to silence the women and prevent them from going public with their allegations.
In December 2018, Cohen was sentenced to three years in prison for his role in the scheme, which he admitted to in court. As part of his plea deal, Cohen agreed not to speak publicly about the case or his cooperation with federal prosecutors.
Trump, however, has continued to comment on the case and has criticized Cohen for cooperating with authorities. In January, Trump tweeted that Cohen was “lying to reduce his jail time” and accused him of making up stories to get a reduced sentence.
In response to Trump’s comments, prosecutors filed a motion asking the court to enforce the gag order and prevent both Trump and Cohen from discussing the case publicly. The court granted the motion, leading Trump to appeal the decision.
In its ruling on Tuesday, the appeals court upheld the lower court’s decision, stating that the gag order was necessary to protect the integrity of the judicial process and prevent potential interference with ongoing investigations.
The decision is a blow to Trump, who has been vocal in his criticism of the hush money case and has sought to discredit Cohen’s testimony. The ruling also serves as a reminder that even the president is not above the law and must adhere to court orders.
Moving forward, Trump and Cohen will be prohibited from discussing the case publicly, further limiting their ability to shape the narrative surrounding the hush money scandal. As the legal proceedings continue, it remains to be seen how this ruling will impact the outcome of the case and any potential future legal actions involving Trump and Cohen.
