The federal judge presiding over former President Trump’s election fraud case has ordered his lawyers to respond to prosecutors Request a protective order By Monday, according to Saturday’s court filing.
Judge Tanya Chutkan gave Trump’s attorney one business day to respond to special counsel Jack Smith’s request for a strict protective order barring Trump from publicly discussing the case’s evidence.
Smith made the request last Friday after Trump made a post on social media that appeared to threaten witnesses in the case.
“If you go after me, I will come after you!” Trump wrote on the social truth Friday.
The Trump campaign has since said the post was It is not intended to be a threat.
Federal prosecutors have argued that the strict protective order is necessary because Trump has a history of discussing cases issues publicly. Prosecutors claimed that negotiations between the plaintiffs and Trump’s team over a protective order collapsed on Friday.
Trump’s lawyer must now either accept Smith’s proposed order of protection or file a revised proposal by 5 p.m. Monday.
“Such a limitation is particularly important in this case because the defendant has previously made public statements on social media regarding witnesses, judges, attorneys, and others related to legal matters pending against him,” prosecutors wrote in filing the motion on Friday.
“If the defendant were to begin to make public publications using the details — or, for example, grand jury transcripts — obtained when discovered here might have a chilling effect on witnesses or adversely affect the fair administration of justice in this case, I continued.
Trump was He was indicted on four federal counts Tuesdayclaiming that he tried to organize a fake voting scheme in an electoral college to overturn the results of the 2020 election. He pleaded not guilty indictment Thursday.
Smith also charged Trump in a separate federal case Alleged mishandling of classified documents in June.
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