Judge Extends Gag Order on Trump Amid Social Media Storm
Former President Donald Trump finds himself at the center of yet another legal controversy as a judge has expanded a gag order against him in his New York criminal trial. The decision comes in response to Trump’s fiery social media criticism targeting the judge.
The ongoing legal saga stems from indictments brought forth by Democratic District Attorney Alvin Bragg of New York County. Trump faces charges related to alleged falsification of business records.
Acting New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan, presiding over the trial, took swift action following Trump’s online attacks, which included criticism of Merchan’s daughter. The expanded gag order prohibits Trump from making public statements about the case [via Daily Caller]:
Trump criticized Merchan’s daughter for allegedly posting criticism of him on social media platforms, though the New York State Unified Courts system later clarified that the account was misattributed to her.
“The X, formerly Twitter, account being attributed to Judge Merchan’s daughter no longer belongs to her,” said Al Baker, the spokesman for the New York State Office of Court Administration, according to The New York Times. “It is not linked to her email address, nor has she posted under that screen name since she deleted the account. Rather, it represents the reconstitution, last April, and manipulation of an account she long ago abandoned.”
Photo credit: Gage Skidmore via Flickr
