According to recently filed court documents, former President Donald Trump will appeal the gag order preventing him from questioning or critizing publicly anyone on the judge’s staff during the NY civil fraud trial.
The recently imposed gag order on Trump prohibits him from public comment of any members on Judge Arthur Engoron’s staff. This order was temporarily lifted in mid November when a judge cited concerns of free speech, but a New York Appeals court decided to reimpose the gag order on November 30th. Lawyers for the former President filed an appeal with the New York Appellate Division which is the state’s highest court, looking to have the gag order removed permanently.
The original gag order was imposed on Trump in the beginning of October because Trump posted a picture of the judge’s law clerk Allison Greenfield alongside Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and claimed on Truth Social that Greenfield was the “girlfriend” of Schumer.
This original gag order has since widened and lawyers for Trump claim Judge Engoron is now using the gag order as an “unfettered license” to punish him in retaliation for comments Trump made outside of the courtroom criticizing the judge and the shame trial. Lawyers claim the judge doesn’t have the right to violate Trump’s free speech because he may not agree with it or be subject to harsh critique.
The lower New York appeals court noted “upon reading and filing the papers with respect to the motion, and due deliberation having been had thereon,” and decided to reinstate the order despite Trump’s lawyers arguments.
Trump has also been fined twice for violating the gag order resulting in a $5,000 fine for not removing a post from social media despite being order to do so and an additional $10,000 for expressing his view that Judge Engoron is “very partisan” when talking with reporters.