Judge Slaps Federal Gag Order Back On Trump

Judge Chutkan reversed her stay and reimposed the gag order that she issued on former president Donald Trump.

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Reuters reported:

A federal judge on Sunday reinstated a gag order she imposed on Donald Trump in the Washington case accusing him of trying to overturn his 2020 election defeat, denying his bid for a stay pending appeal.

The order prohibited Trump from targeting the special counsel prosecuting his case or witnesses who might be called to testify about his efforts to upend his election loss.

U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan imposed the gag order at the Justice Department’s request. She temporarily lifted it on Oct. 20 after Trump’s lawyers appealed. And she reversed that decision on Sunday evening, according to the court’s docket.

Trump has been virtually begging for the gag order to be reimposed as he has launched nearly daily attacks on prosecutors, judges, and what probably got the order reimposed, his attack on former chief of staff Mark Meadows, who was reportedly given immunity in the 1/6 case.

Gag orders will probably become common in most, if not all, of Trump’s criminal cases. The only one where he might not be gagged is the classified documents case, where Trump-friendly judge Aileen Cannon is presiding over the case.

Trump has already violated the gag order in the New York civil fraud case against the Trump organization and has been fined a combined $15,000.

Trump’s strategy is to use his criminal cases in his presidential campaign, but if he can’t use his campaign to intimidate others, a big part of his plan will be taken away.

Donald Trump will probably try to violate the gag order, but there will be consequences, potentially very expensive consequences.

Jason Easley

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.

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