Former President Donald Trump, who was convicted of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in a New York criminal trial, will now be able to publicly comment about witnesses and jurors involved in the case. The revised gag order issued by Judge Juan Merchan on June 25 allows Trump to speak about the key figures in the trial but prohibits him from disclosing any personally identifying information of jurors or discussing court staffers and their families until his sentencing on July 11.
Trump, who was fined $10,000 for violating the initial gag order during the trial, had been barred from making statements about potential witnesses and jurors throughout the proceedings. The loosened restrictions come just days before Trump is set to face President Joe Biden in a presidential debate on June 27.
The hush money trial centered around payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels and former lawyer Michael Cohen to cover up an alleged affair between Trump and Daniels prior to the 2016 election. The conviction marked the first time a U.S. president has been convicted of a crime while in office.
The initial gag order was put in place due to Trump's history of inflammatory rhetoric towards people involved in his legal cases and potential threats against them, as well as concerns for the integrity of the judicial proceedings. However, Merchan acknowledged that circumstances have changed since the jury handed down its verdict last month.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg had requested that the gag order remain in place due to an uptick in threats against him and his office. Trump's legal team had filed a motion to remove the order as they await sentencing.
Trump's former attorney Michael Cohen commented on the loosened gag order, stating that Trump's failed strategy of discrediting him would not work now. Cohen has been a frequent target of Trump's attacks on social media.
