Former President Donald Trump won a victory against New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan this week as a replacement for his silence to order him to speak out about Michael Cohen and Stormy Daniels.
On Tuesday, Merchan, who oversaw Trump’s criminal trial in New York, modified a gag order to allow the former president to comment on witnesses and jurors involved in the case, the Associated Press reported.
Last month, a New York City jury convicted Trump of 34 counts of falsifying business records in connection with a cash payment that Cohen, then Trump’s attorney, made to former adult film actress Daniels before of the 2016 election, supposedly to keep quiet about an affair. She said yes.
Trump, who has long denounced the case as a “witch hunt,” has pleaded guilty to all fees denied over Daniels’ allegations. He has already announced his intention to appeal the verdict.
Daniels and Cohen testified at trial as prosecution witnesses. Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, will now be able to speak about this publicly thanks to the new modified gag order.
Newsweek reached out to Trump’s spokesperson and Bragg’s workplace email for comment.
Cohen and Daniels posted statements on X, formerly Twitter, in the wake of Merchan’s decision.
“My response to everyone asking me about the Trump gag order being modified is: Certainly, we have nothing but respect for Judge Merchan. His decision to impose restrictions on Mr. Trump, as it related to reckless and unrelenting character attacks on court personnel, trial witnesses, and potentially jurors was extraordinary but clearly justified given the defendant’s uncontrollable daily rants. We also defer to the Judge’s review of that restriction post-trial in the context of free speech and any continuing danger to the judicial process,” Daniels wrote.
Cohen posted a photo of Merchan’s resolution and the following:
“For the past six years, Donald and his cronies have consistently made negative statements about me. Donald’s failed strategy of discrediting me in the face of responsibility did not work then and will not work now,” he wrote.
“For the more than six years, Donald and his acolytes have consistently made negative statements about me. Donald’s failed strategy of discrediting me to take responsibility didn’t work then and won’t work now#TeamCohen pic. twitter. com/97ZS81SAfr
According to the Associated Press, the replacement of Merchan’s gag order applied to other people involved in the case, the judge added. Additional adjustments to the silence may be made following Trump’s conviction next month.
During the trial, Trump had already received a $10,000 fine and been held in contempt for violating the gag order 10 times. Trump still denies any wrongdoing and looks good about being convicted as a felon.
In court papers last week, Manhattan prosecutors asked that the gag order against Trump remain in effect because the former president did not “exempt jurors from his alarming rhetoric” that he would seek revenge as president against those involved in the trial.
Prosecutors added that officials have recorded 56 “actionable threats” against Bragg, his family and the staff of the prosecutor’s office since the secret trial began in April.
Last week, attorney Robert Ray, who defended Trump in his first impeachment trial, spoke to CNN’s NewsNight and said he had “absolutely no problem” with prosecutors requesting that the gag order remain in place.
“Frankly, I have no problem with the prosecutor’s genuine considerations about safety,” Ray said. “There are madmen in the era that ends from now until the end of the court’s role of first example in this case. I do not think it is worth taking the threat that anyone can harm one of the key members of the staff, the staff of the court, and more importantly, the court and, indeed, the prosecutor and his team.
Trump is expected to attend the first presidential debate later this week, where he will possibly speak about the secret trial.
Update 6/25/24, 5:52 p. m. ET: This article has been updated with statements from Cohen and Daniels.
Matthew Impelli is a Newsweek founded in New York City. Its objective is to inform about social disorders and crime. In January 2023, Matthew traveled to Moscow, Idaho, where he reported on the quadruple murders and the arrest of Bryan Kohberger. Matthew joined Newsweek in 2019 after graduating from Syracuse University. He also earned his master’s degree from St. John’s University. John’s in 2021. You can contact Matthew by emailing m. impelli@newsweek. com. English language.
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