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Acting on the same day that a New York state judge fined Trump
$5,000 for violating a gag order in a civil trial, U.S. District
Tanya Chutkan in Washington put on hold the order she issued
earlier in the week while she considers the former president's
request for a longer pause while he challenges it.
Lawyers for Trump on Friday asked Chutkan to lift the
restrictions while he asks a U.S. appeals court to strike down
an order by the judge that they called "breathtakingly
overbroad."
Chutkan on Monday barred Trump from making public statements
that "target" Special Counsel Jack Smith, who is prosecuting the
case, and members of his staff. The order also prohibits Trump
from making comments disparaging court staff and potential
witnesses in the case.
Trump in the past has called Smith, who was appointed as special
counsel by U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, a "deranged
lunatic" and a "thug," among other insults. Trump is facing four
criminal cases and has made disparaging comments about
prosecutors in each of them, as well as against the New York
state attorney general who brought civil fraud charges against
him.
Trump has pleaded not guilty to charges that he plotted to
interfere unlawfully in the counting of votes and block the
congressional certification of his 2020 loss to Democrat Joe
Biden.
(Reporting by Andrew Goudsward; writing by Kanishka Singh;
Editing by Will Dunham)
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