Trump appears virtually in NYC ‘hush money’ case, warned he could be sanctioned if he’s not quiet
Former President Donald Trump was warned he could be sanctioned if he violates a court order barring him from speaking publicly about evidence in his “hush money” criminal case — which will go to trial next year, a Manhattan judge said Tuesday.
Trump, 76, appeared stony-faced by video in the courtroom, and could be seen crossing his arms and shaking his head as Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan read out the March 25, 2024 trial date.
The former president spoke only to say “I do” when Merchan asked if he had a copy of the May 8 protective order, which bans Trump from revealing evidence turned over to him and his defense team by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office.
“Violations could result in sanctions. There are a wide range of sanctions and could include up to a finding of contempt,” Merchan said during the brief hearing.
Trump, who wore a navy suit, white shirt and red white and blue striped tie, remained impassive as he sat behind a table next to his attorney Todd Blanche, with two US flags hanging diagonally in the background.
Blanche said the former president was “very much concerned that his First Amendment rights are being violated” by the rules, and asked Merchan to clarify whether they amounted to “a gag order.”
The judge reassured Blanche that his rules were not intended to infringe on Trump’s right to free speech, saying “It is certainly not a gag order.”
“It is certainly not my intention in any way to impede his right to campaign for president of the United States. He’s free to do just about anything that doesn’t violate the terms of this protective order.”
In addition to not being allowed to publicly discuss — or reveal on social media — sensitive materials from the case, the order said Trump may only review the evidence in the presence of his lawyers.
Trump is allowed to discuss information that is already public, along with most of the evidence that has come from his camp.
Trump in April was hit with a 34-count indictment charging him with falsifying business records related to “catch-and-kill” payments made to former porn star Stormy Daniels and ex-playboy model Karen McDougal in the lead-up to the 2016 election, an alleged effort to buy their silence over claims they had affairs with the then-presidential candidate.
He has pleaded not guilty.
Prosecutors in Bragg’s office had sought the protective order, citing Trump’s history of social media attacks as they argued it was needed to protect witnesses from potential harassment.
The prosecutors added in a May 16 filing that they would only turn over the “millions of pages of discovery” to Trump’s team once he’s “been advised on the record of the terms and content of, and conduct prohibited by, the protective order entered by this court.”
The next court date in the case is set for January 4, 2024.
