The Trump campaign fired back at Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's team of prosecutors for requesting a "restrictive gag order" in the New York criminal case involving alleged hush money payments made prior to the 2016 election.
Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung released a statement labeling last week's request to New York State Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan "election interference pure and simple" and asserted such a gag order would violate Trump's First Amendment rights.
"Today, the 2-tiered system of justice implemented against President Trump is on full display, with the request by another Deranged Democrat prosecutor seeking a restrictive gag order," Cheung wrote in a statement.
Cheung said that the gag order, "if granted, would impose an unconstitutional infringement on President Trump's First Amendment rights, including his ability to defend himself, and the rights of all Americans to hear from President Trump."
The prosecution in the hush money case had argued that "the need for such protection is compelling," adding that the "Defendant has a long history of making public and inflammatory remarks about the participants in various judicial proceedings against him, including jurors, witnesses, lawyers, and court staff."
"Those remarks, as well as the inevitable reactions they incite from defendant's followers and allies, pose a significant and imminent threat to the orderly administration of this criminal proceeding and a substantial likelihood of causing material prejudice," the motion stated.
The Trump hush money case centers around allegations that Trump had his then lawyer Michael Cohen make payments to adult entertainer Stormy Daniels on the condition she refrain from discussing an affair that Trump has denied. Trump has been accused of falsifying business records to conceal the payments. Judge Merchan has said that jury selection is to begin on March 25.
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