The judge overseeing the Manhattan district attorney’s “hush money” case against former President Donald Trump has approved a request to expand a recently imposed gag order on the president.
The decision came late Monday and gags President Trump from public discussion of family members of the court, the family members of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, and all others named in the order, including jurors, potential jurors, witnesses, court staff, counsel, and their families.
The order does not bar comments about the judge himself or Mr. Bragg, an elected Democrat.
While the judge noted that courts are “understandably concerned” about limiting defendants’ freedom of speech, particularly for public figures, “The circumstances of the instant matter, however, are different,” he wrote. “The conventional ‘David vs. Goliath’ roles are no longer in play as demonstrated by the singular power defendant’s words have on countless others.”
He cited in his ruling arguments from the prosecution that “multiple potential witnesses have already raised grave concerns [...] about their own safety and that of their family members should they appear as witnesses against the defendant.” The judge wrote that those fears “undoubtedly interfere” with the proceedings.
“The average observer, must now, after hearing defendant’s recent attacks, draw the conclusion that if they become involved in these proceedings, even tangentially, they should worry not only for themselves, but for their loved ones as well,” he added.
“Defendant’s dangerous, violent, and reprehensible rhetoric fundamentally threatens the integrity of these proceedings and is intended to intimidate witnesses and trial participants alike—including this Court,” state prosecutor Matthew Colangelo wrote in the court filing.
The former president wrote in one post, “Judge Juan Merchan, a very distinguished looking man, is nevertheless a true and certified Trump Hater who suffers from a very serious case of Trump Derangement Syndrome.
“In other words, he hates me! His daughter is a senior executive at a Super Liberal Democrat firm that works for Adam ‘Shifty’ Schiff, the Democrat National Committee, Senate Majority PAC, and even Crooked Joe Biden.”
In another, he said, “Maybe the Judge is such a hater because his daughter makes money by working to ‘Get Trump.’”
Critics responded by complaining that his posts were attacks on Ms. Merchan and false accusations.
Two major Democratic clients of Ms. Merchan raised at least $93 million in political donations in a campaign that mentioned President Trump’s case in their solicitation emails, according to The New York Post.
The hush money trial is scheduled to start on April 15. It’s the first criminal trial involving the former president. He faces other cases in Washington, Florida, and Georgia.
President Trump faces 91 felony counts in all, and he has denied the allegations and pleaded not guilty to all of the charges. He has said that the cases are politically motivated attempts to harm his 2024 presidential campaign.
