Donald Trump’s Lawyers Claim Hush Money Gag Order Restrains Campaign Speech

Washington: Donald Trump’s lawyers have requested the judge, who oversaw his hush money trial case, to lift the gag order, arguing that his opponents were using the restrictions on the former US president’s speech as a ‘political sword’.  In a plea, defense lawyers Todd Blanche and Emil Bove stated that Democratic President Joe Biden’s campaign had referred to Trump, the Republican candidate, as a “convicted felon” in a May 30 statement.

In the plea, they stated that the order might limit Trump’s ability to respond to attacks from Biden during their June 27 presidential debate – though the order only restricts Trump’s public statements about jurors, witnesses and other individuals involved in the court proceedings, and does not prevent him from criticizing the case in general.

The development comes after a Manhattan local court on May 30 found Donald Trump guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records to cover up his former lawyer Michael Cohen’s $130,000 payment to porn star Stormy Daniels for her silence before the 2016 election about a sexual encounter she says they had a decade earlier.

Last month, Donald Trump called the hush money trial “very unfair” and criticised Judge Juan Merchan, calling him “conflicted” in remarks after his conviction, CNN reported. He announced that his legal team would appeal the conviction and called the trial a “hoax.”

Speaking to reporters from Trump Tower in Manhattan, Trump said, “As far as the trial itself, it was very unfair. We weren’t allowed to use our election expert under any circumstances. You saw what happened to some of the witnesses that were on our side, they were literally crucified by this man.”

Slamming the judge, Trump said, “he looks like an angel, but he’s really a devil. He looks so nice and soft. No, unless you saw him in action. And you saw that with a certain witness that went through hell,” CNN reported.

Criticising the court verdict, he claimed, The people of our country know it’s a hoax, they know it’s a hoax, they get it.” He said, “You know, they’re really smart. And it’s really something, so we’re going to be appealing this scam,” ABC News reported.

He further said that he had been placed under a “gag order” where he had to pay thousands of dollars in penalties and was threatened with jail.

Trump said, “There’s never been a more conflicted judge.” He said, “Now, I’m under a gag order, which nobody has ever been under — no presidential candidates ever been under a gag order before. ”

He said, “I’m under a gag order, nasty gag order, where I’ve had to pay thousands of dollars in penalties and was threatened with jail.”

Trump said there were “bad people” behind his conviction and reiterated his claim that Judge Juan Merchan was “highly conflicted” in the case.

(With Inputs From Agencies)