The judge presiding over E. Jean Carroll’s rape lawsuit against Donald Trump warned the former president that he could be charged with jury tampering over social media posts.
“What seems to be the case is that your client is basically endeavoring, certainly, to speak to his quote-unquote public, but, more troubling, the jury in this case about stuff that has no business being spoken about,” the judge told Trump’s lawyers. He called Trump’s post “a public statement that, on the face of it, seems entirely inappropriate.”
Trump attorney Joe Tacopina noted that jurors are told not to follow any news or online commentary about the case. But he said he would ask Trump “to refrain from any further posts about this case.”
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“I hope you’re more successful,” Kaplan said, adding that Trump “may or may not be tampering with a new source of potential liability.”
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This is the first time that I can recall that a judge has publicly warned Trump about facing possible charges over his social media posts. The judge mentioned that Trump was trying to go beyond speaking to his supporters and appeared to be trying to speak to the jury.
Jury tampering is on page one of the Trump trial playbook. The former president has a long history of trying to drag out legal proceedings, destruction of evidence, and jury tampering. Trump has also shown that he is not above-threatening witnesses and their families.
If Trump continues to try to influence the E.Jean Carroll case with public statements, he may not only lose a civil trial but could also open himself up to a world of legal hurt.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
