The
former U.S. president's lawyers sharply opposed the request from
Special Counsel Jack Smith for a court order limiting Trump’s
out-of-court statements about potential witnesses in the case
and barring disparaging or intimidating remarks about the judge,
prosecutors and potential jurors.
Trump’s defense team said in a court filing late on Monday that
such restrictions would violate his free speech rights as he
runs for president as the clear front-runner for the Republican
nomination in 2024.
Trump had already publicly attacked Smith’s request, arguing it
was an attempt to limit his criticism of the President Joe
Biden, his likely opponent in the 2024 election.
"At bottom, the Proposed Gag Order is nothing more than an
obvious attempt by the Biden Administration to unlawfully
silence its most prominent political opponent," Trump's lawyers
wrote in the filing.
Trump was indicted in August on four felony counts for allegedly
attempting to intervene in the counting of votes and block the
certification of the 2020 election, one of four criminal cases
he faces. Trump has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Smith’s office said in a court filing this month that Trump
threatened to undermine public confidence in the case and
influence potential jurors with “near daily” social media
attacks on prosecutors, U.S. Judge Tanya Chutkan, who is
presiding over the case, and residents of Washington, D.C. who
will serve as jurors.
Prosecutors said Trump has a history of inspiring his supporters
to harass and threaten people he singles out for public
criticism.
Thousands of Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan.
6, 2021, fighting with police and sending lawmakers fleeing for
their lives, in a failed bid to overturn Trump's election
defeat. Trump continues to make the false claim that his loss
was the result of fraud.
(Reporting by Andrew Goudsward; Editing by Scott Malone and Kim
Coghill)
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