Court Rejects Trump Challenge to Gag Order

A New York appeals court rejected President Donald Trump’s bid Thursday to toss the gag order imposed on him in his New York civil fraud trial, along with the fines imposed for violations.

The court found that Trump had not used the right legal method to challenge the order imposed in October by Judge Arthur Engoron. Trump’s lawyers asked the court in November to vacate the gag order using a provision of the law to sue Engoron directly, which the court found was an “extraordinary remedy” not appropriate when the “potential harm is small,” according to ABC News.

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Trump Files Intent to Appeal Reinstated Gag Order

Former President Donald Trump is seeking to appeal a decision reinstating a gag order that was put in place to prevent him from discussing members of the judge’s staff during his civil fraud trial, according to court documents.

The order, which prohibits Trump from publicly commenting about members of Judge Arthur Engoron’s staff, was temporarily lifted on Nov. 16 after the court raised concerns about free speech, but a New York Appeals court reinstated the gag order on Nov. 30. The motion was filed with the New York Appellate Division, First Judicial Department, the state’s highest court, according to court documents.

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Judge Expands Gag Order to Include Trump’s Attorneys in His New York Case

The New York judge overseeing former President Donald Trump’s civil fraud trial expanded his gag order Friday to include Trump’s attorneys.

Judge Arthur Engoron issued an order Friday barring Trump’s attorneys from making “any public comments about court staff” referring to “confidential communications” between him and his staff. Engoron said the attorneys on Trump’s legal team — Christopher Kise, Clifford Robert and Alina Habba — have made “on the record, repeated, inappropriate remarks” about his law clerk “falsely accusing her of bias against them and of improperly influencing the ongoing bench trial.”

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