Gag order sought in Trump’s election conspiracy case

WASHINGTON: Prosecutors have appealed to Judge Tanya S. Chutkan to restrain the former president from making statements that might intimidate witnesses, sway potential jurors, or result in harassment of individuals connected to the case.

The prosecutors have urged the judge overseeing the federal indictment of former President Donald J. Trump for his alleged involvement in conspiring to overturn the 2020 election to impose a “carefully tailored” gag order on him. This request comes in response to Trump’s frequent social media attacks on individuals linked to the case, as reported by The New York Times.

The plea to Judge Chutkan of the Federal District Court in Washington, who herself has been the target of some of Trump’s verbal assaults, underscores the ongoing concern over the former president’s online statements.

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According to court documents released on Friday, prosecutors have pointed out that some of the individuals whom Trump has targeted on social media, including Special Counsel Jack Smith, who has filed two indictments against him, have subsequently faced threats from others. These statements, the prosecutors argued in a 19-page motion, could also adversely affect witnesses and the potential jury pool for the trial, scheduled to commence in Washington in March.

“Since the indictment in this case, the defendant has consistently made derogatory and incendiary public posts on Truth Social, targeting residents of the District of Columbia, the court, prosecutors, and potential witnesses,” federal prosecutors stated.

They further elaborated, “In a manner reminiscent of his prior public disinformation campaign concerning the 2020 presidential election, the defendant’s recent extrajudicial statements are designed to erode public trust in a fundamental institution—the judicial system—and to undermine the confidence of and intimidate individuals, including the court, the jury pool, witnesses, and prosecutors.”

The government’s proposed gag order would prohibit Trump from making any statements regarding the identity or testimonies of witnesses in the case or any comments about individuals involved in the proceedings that may be construed as “derogatory, incendiary, or intimidating.”

“The government seeks a narrowly defined restriction aimed at extrajudicial statements that pose a significant and genuine risk of substantially prejudicing this case,” prosecutors emphasized.