An appellate judge in New York has temporarily lifted the gag order on former President Donald Trump amid his ongoing civil fraud trial. Trial judge Arthur Engoron originally imposed the order.
What Happened: As conveyed by USA Today, this suspension followed Trump’s violation of the order when he criticized court staff, incurring $15,000 in fines. Trump argued that the order contravened constitutional and court rules.
Appellate division judge David Friedman has temporarily suspended the gag order while the appeal is under consideration. He has requested written arguments from Attorney General Letitia James by November 22 and a response from Trump by November 27.
Friedman wrote, “Considering the constitutional and statutory rights at issue, an interim stay is granted.”
The trial stems from a $250 million lawsuit by James against Trump, his sons Eric and Donald Trump Jr., and their corporation over alleged fraudulent overvaluation of real estate properties. Engoron has ordered the cancellation of Trump’s business certificates, which could potentially terminate Trump’s business in New York state. However, this decision is on hold while Trump appeals.
Why It Matters: This development follows a series of public outbursts by Trump against Judge Engoron and the trial proceedings. As reported by Benzinga on October 27, 2023, Trump was fined $10,000 for violating a court-imposed gag order. He responded by attacking the judge, claiming the judge had “gone crazy in his hatred.”
Furthermore, Trump continued his tirade against Judge Engoron in a post on Truth Social, accusing him of being “crazy,” “unhinged,” and politically biased. The former president purported that Engoron was “doing the dirty work for the Democrat Party,” according to an earlier Benzinga report.
In October, another gag order was reinstated on Trump, prohibiting him from making public disparaging remarks against the special counsel and potential witnesses involved in his case regarding his 2020 election loss. This recent lifting of the gag order by Judge Friedman is another twist in this ongoing legal saga.
Photo by Joseph Sohm on Shutterstock
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