Gag Order in Trump's Civil Fraud Trial Temporarily Lifted by Judge
A New York appeals court judge temporarily lifts the gag order on Donald Trump and his attorneys in the civil fraud trial after an emergency hearing
A gag order placed on Donald Trump and his attorneys in his civil fraud trial was temporarily lifted on Thursday by a New York appeals court judge. Associate Justice David Friedman of the First Judicial Department granted an interim stay in a written order, taking into account the constitutional and statutory rights involved.
Chris Kise, a lawyer representing Trump, expressed his satisfaction with the development in a statement issued on Thursday afternoon. "Thankfully, both the constitution and the First Amendment ensure protection for all individuals, including President Trump. The public will once again enjoy unrestricted access to the proceedings of this extraordinary trial."
Earlier this week, Trump's legal team sought urgent intervention, contending that the gag order impinges on the former president's freedom of speech.
Judge Arthur Engoron issued a gag order against Trump, forbidding him from making any statements regarding court staff due to security concerns. This decision was made following Trump's unfounded accusation on social media involving the judge's principal law clerk. Additionally, the judge expanded the gag order to include Trump's attorneys, preventing them from publicly discussing any communication between the judge and the law clerk. As a result of his actions, Trump has been fined a total of $15,000 by the judge, having been penalized twice.
The lawyers argued that although the desire to protect their staff may be understandable, the current gag orders are not specifically designed for that purpose. Trump's legal team filed a motion for mistrial on Monday alleging "actual and apparent bias" exhibited by the judge and the law clerk, who have made donations to political organizations supporting New York Attorney General Letitia James, the plaintiff in the lawsuit.
The New York Democrat claims that the Trump Organization engaged in deceptive practices, including the use of misleading appraisals, to deceive lenders, insurers, and tax authorities by artificially increasing the value of his properties.
This significant civil case directly challenges the essence of Trump's brand - his real estate empire. James has filed a lawsuit against Trump, seeking $250 million in damages and attempting to prohibit him from conducting business in the state. Engoron has already determined that Trump and his co-defendants are responsible for fraudulent actions.
The Trump defense maintains that the financial statements were not deceptive and asserts that various individuals may assign varying values to the same property. Additionally, the defense argues that there was no intention to deceive banks or insurers, as the Trump family depended on accountants, and any dissimilarities in property values were inconsequential.
However, in September prior to the commencement of the trial, Engoron made a ruling stating that the Trumps had participated in fraudulent activities by continuously and repeatedly inflating the worth of assets on their financial statements.
Apart from that, the state is aiming to substantiate six additional allegations which include conspiracy, tampering with business records, producing deceitful financial statements, and engaging in insurance fraud.
This story has been updated with additional information.
CNNs Jeremy Herb and Lauren del Valle contributed to this report.
