Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg opposes former President Donald Trump’s request for Judge Juan Merchan to lift the gag order in his hush money case despite the conclusion of the criminal trial.
Trump argued the trial’s conclusion meant the gag order was no longer needed but prosecutors disagreed.
“The Court’s Orders, however, were based not only on the need to avoid threats to the fairness of the trial itself…but also on the Court’s broader ‘obligation to prevent actual harm to the integrity of the proceedings’; to protect ‘the orderly administration of this Court’; and to avoid ‘risk[s] to the administration of justice,'” prosecutors wrote in a letter to the judge Wednesday. “These interests have not abated.”
Bragg said Merchan should maintain the gag order “at least through the sentencing hearing and the resolution of any post-trial motions.”
Defense attorney Todd Blanche said in a letter to the court on Tuesday that the gag order is no longer warranted.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg speaks to attendees during the National Action Network National Convention in New York City, April 7, 2022.
Eduardo Munoz/Reuters, FILE
“Now that the trial is concluded, the concerns articulated by the government and the Court do not justify continued restrictions on the First Amendment rights of President Trump — who remains the leading candidate in the 2024 presidential election — and the American people,” the letter from Trump’s attorneys said.
Blanche’s letter references “continued public attacks” by prosecution witnesses Michael Cohen and Stormy Daniels, both of whom Trump has been restrained from verbally attacking. The letter also makes several arguments about politics and President Joe Biden, who has never been off-limits per the gag order.
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A jury found Trump guilty last week on all 34 felony counts of falsifying business records related to a 2016 hush money payment to Daniels, an adult film actress, in order to boost his electoral prospects in the 2016 presidential election.
It marks the first time in history that a former U.S. president has been convicted on criminal charges.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has made headlines recently for his opposition to former President Donald Trump’s request to lift a gag order following the hush money trial. The trial, which centers around allegations that Trump paid hush money to two women who claimed to have had affairs with him, has been a highly publicized and contentious legal battle.
Trump’s legal team has argued that the gag order, which prevents the parties involved from discussing the case publicly, is unconstitutional and infringes on their First Amendment rights. They have requested that the order be lifted so that they can speak freely about the case and defend themselves against what they claim are false accusations.
However, DA Bragg has pushed back against this request, citing concerns about potential witness intimidation and interference with the ongoing investigation. In a court filing, Bragg argued that lifting the gag order could compromise the integrity of the case and undermine the pursuit of justice.
Bragg’s opposition to Trump’s request has sparked debate among legal experts and commentators, with some praising his commitment to upholding the rule of law and protecting the integrity of the legal process, while others criticize him for potentially infringing on Trump’s rights to free speech.
The hush money trial is just one of many legal battles that Trump is currently facing, as he continues to be embroiled in various investigations and lawsuits related to his time in office. The outcome of this trial could have significant implications for Trump’s political future and legal standing, making it a closely watched and highly contentious case.
As the legal proceedings continue to unfold, it remains to be seen how DA Bragg’s opposition to Trump’s request to lift the gag order will impact the outcome of the trial and the broader legal battles facing the former president. One thing is clear: this case is far from over, and the legal drama surrounding Trump shows no signs of slowing down.
