New York state judge has barred former President Donald Trump from posting about some evidence on social media pertaining to an ongoing prosecution from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.
Bragg is pursuing charges against Trump in connection with a 2016 payment his then-personal attorney, Michael Cohen, made to Stormy Daniels. Trump has pleaded not guilty.
Judge Juan Merchan on Monday issued an order that prevents Trump from posting “any materials and information provided by the People to the Defense in accordance with their discovery obligations” and asserts that said materials “shall be used solely for the purposes of preparing a defense in this matter,” NBC News reported.
Merchan further barred anyone with access to the evidence from giving the materials to third parties without the court’s consent. Trump himself may only review some materials in the presence of his attorneys.
Bragg had previously sought such an order from the judge, pointing to Trump’s history of attacking witnesses and investigators, which the DA said could compromise their safety.
Trump, Bragg’s team wrote, “has a longstanding and perhaps singular history of attacking witnesses, investigators, prosecutors, trial jurors, grand jurors, judges, and others involved in legal proceedings against him.”
Trump’s team had argued that such an order would violate his First Amendment rights.
The former president has not publicly commented on the development as of press time.