Judge Partially Lifts Gag Order On Donald Trump After Hush Money Verdict

On Tuesday, the New York judge overseeing former President Donald Trump’s hush money trial partially lifted the gag order that has barred him from speaking about the case’s witnesses and jurors. However, he is still prohibited from revealing identifying information about members of the panel that convicted him on all counts in late May.

“There is ample evidence to justify continued concern for the jurors,” New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan wrote in his five-page order.

Trump is also still barred from attacking prosecutors and court staff, although he has always been free to speak about Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and the judge.

A panel of 12 Manhattanites found Trump guilty of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records relating to a hush money payment made to porn actor Stormy Daniels in the days before the 2016 presidential election. Daniels provided extensive testimony in the trial, as did Trump’s former personal attorney Michael Cohen, who made the payment on behalf of his boss.

The former president faces sentencing in the case on July 11.

Merchan’s order marks a victory for the defense, as Trump’s team has always been opposed to the scope of the gag order. Bragg’s office had not objected to lifting the ban as it related to witnesses, but wanted to preserve the sections about the jury and prosecution.

Trump has barely contained his impulse to go after people involved in the trial. He was found to have breached his gag order on 10 separate occasions at one point in his trial, leading Merchan to fine him $1,000 for each instance.

A total of 22 people testified as witnesses over the course of six weeks. They included David Pecker, a longtime Trump ally whose company American Media Inc.