Trump made false accusations against the judge’s daughter on social media last week. On Monday, the president’s muzzle was extended to also apply to family members.
Judge Juan Merchan states that the gag from last week did not include family members, but that Trump’s subsequent attack on his daughter gives him the authority to do so.
– The pattern of attacking family members of lawyers who lead trials and lawyers who work on his cases has no justified purpose, writes the judge.
False accusations
His daughter, Loren Merchan, is an adviser to the Democrats. On her own platform Truth Social, Trump wrote that she makes money working to take him. He also falsely accused her of posting a photo showing him in jail on social media.
It was the prosecution at State Attorney Alvin Bragg in Manhattan who in February requested that Trump be muzzled in the case. He justified it by the fact that Trump has a “long history of public and provocative statements about people involved in his many legal cases”.
Trump’s lawyers argued that a gag order would violate his right to free speech under the US First Amendment, leaving him defenseless against attacks by political opponents.
The case starts on April 15
The former president is accused of violating the accounting act in connection with payments to porn actress Stormy Daniels in order for her to remain silent about a sexual relationship she claims she had with Trump in 2006.
The criminal case is the first in history against a former US president. Trump himself claims that the case is a witch hunt.
The case will come before the court on April 15.
Also read: Trump pays – and avoids having properties seized
Also read: Claims Trump is selling Bibles to fund lawsuit against porn star
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