(TotalConservative.com) – Manhattan attorneys with Alvin Bragg’s district attorney office filed a request for a gag order in the criminal case against the former president alleging falsification of business records that pertain to payments he made to Stormy Daniels over an alleged affair. The request mirrors similar requests made to courts where Trump is the defendant and would prohibit him from making statements regarding court officials, jurors, and potential witnesses.
The filing complained that Trump has a “long history” of making public statements which would “pose a significant threat” to their case and resembles a previously approved gag order upheld by the U.S. Court of Appeals last year.
Prosecutors want Judge Juan Merchan to forbid Trump from making any negative statements about known or potential witnesses, staff of the court, and jurors. Trump would be potentially liable if he said something like New York District Attorney Alvin Bragg is a partisan political actor pushing political charges to weaponize the justice system and interfere in the presidential election.
Trump made similar comments in the New York civil fraud trial by exposing the fact that court staff, including Judge Arthur Engoron and his assistants, had apparent left-leaning political biases. He also blasted New York Attorney General Letitia James for running her election campaign on the promise she would legally pursue Trump.
Trump’s team will counter the filing with one of their own and can appeal any decision by Merchan on the subject. Trump’s trial is scheduled to begin on March 25.
Bragg’s office slammed Trump with a whopping 34 count indictment over the alleged falsification of business records. They say that Trump’s $130,000 payment to Daniels were mischaracterized as “legal expenses” for a “retainer agreement” he had with his then-attorney Michael Cohen.
Cohen has previously been convicted, jailed, and released in the matter and is expected to testify. Trump’s team filed a brief which requested the exclusion of any evidence regarding the 2016 election due to it being irrelevant regarding the payments. Prosecutors contend that the payments were to prevent damaging information from coming out during his original campaign. Trump’s team also wants Cohen barred from giving testimony, citing previous “misstatements” he made under oath.
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