Trump aims to scare witnesses in hush-money trial, prosecutors say
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[April 02, 2024]
By Luc Cohen
NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York prosecutors on Monday urged a judge to
forbid Donald Trump from criticizing family members of those involved in
his upcoming hush-money trial, arguing that he is trying to scare
potential witnesses.
In a court filing, prosecutors asked Justice Juan Merchan to make clear
that his existing gag order, which bars Trump from publicly commenting
about witnesses and court staff, also applies to family members.
They were responding to a March 28 social media post by Trump, who
called Merchan's daughter a "Rabid Trump Hater" in a social media post
and called for Merchan to be removed from the case.
"Family members of trial participants must be strictly off-limits,"
prosecutor Matthew Colangelo wrote. "Defendant's insistence to the
contrary bespeaks a dangerous sense of entitlement to instigate fear and
even physical harm to the loved ones of those he sees in the courtroom."
Merchan's daughter runs a digital marketing agency called Authentic
Campaigns, which works with Democratic candidates and non-profits.
Trump's lawyers have argued that her work poses a conflict of interest
and have unsuccessfully sought to oust Merchan from the case.
Trump's defense lawyers said Trump's posts did not violate the gag order
and were not meant to interfere with the proceedings or cause any harm.
"President Trump must be permitted to speak on these issues in a manner
that is consistent with his position as the leading presidential
candidate," his lawyer Todd Blanche wrote.
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Former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks after attending a wake for
New York City Police Department (NYPD) officer Jonathan Diller, who
was shot and killed while making a routine traffic stop on March 25
in the Far Rockaway section of Queens, in Massapequa Park, New York,
U.S., March 28, 2024. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton/File Photo
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2024/Apr/02/images/ads/current/graue_buickenvision3244_032524.jpg)
Trump is set to go on trial starting April 15 in New York state
court in Manhattan on criminal charges of covering up a $130,000
payment before the 2016 election to porn star Stormy Daniels to buy
her silence about an alleged sexual encounter.
Trump has pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business
records and denies an encounter with Daniels, whose real name is
Stephanie Clifford.
Trump could face fines or jail time if he violates Merchan's gag
order, which does not bar him from criticizing the judge or
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, whose office brought the
charges last year.
The case is one of four criminal indictments Trump faces as he
prepares to challenge Biden in the Nov. 5 election. He has pleaded
not guilty in the other three cases, which stem from efforts to
overturn his 2020 loss to Biden and his handling of sensitive
government documents after leaving office in 2021.
Trump faces a similar gag order in his Washington, D.C. criminal
case over his efforts to reverse the 2020 election results.
(Reporting by Luc Cohen in New York; Editing by Andy Sullivan and
Cynthia Osterman)
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