By Andrew Goudsward
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Donald Trump pushed again at U.S. prosecutors’ request to curb a few of his public statements about individuals concerned within the federal court docket case accusing him of making an attempt to subvert the outcomes of the 2020 presidential election.
The previous U.S. president’s legal professionals sharply opposed the request from Particular Counsel Jack Smith for a court docket order limiting Trump’s out-of-court statements about potential witnesses within the case and barring disparaging or intimidating remarks in regards to the decide, prosecutors and potential jurors.
Trump’s protection staff mentioned in a court docket submitting late on Monday that such restrictions would violate his free speech rights as he runs for president because the clear front-runner for the Republican nomination in 2024.
Trump had already publicly attacked Smith’s request, arguing it was an try to restrict his criticism of the President Joe Biden, his possible opponent within the 2024 election.
“At backside, the Proposed Gag Order is nothing greater than an apparent try by the Biden Administration to unlawfully silence its most outstanding political opponent,” Trump’s legal professionals wrote within the submitting.
Trump was indicted in August on 4 felony counts for allegedly making an attempt to intervene within the counting of votes and block the certification of the 2020 election, considered one of 4 legal instances he faces. Trump has pleaded not responsible to all costs.
Smith’s workplace mentioned in a court docket submitting this month that Trump threatened to undermine public confidence within the case and affect potential jurors with “close to each day” social media assaults on prosecutors, U.S. Decide Tanya Chutkan, who’s presiding over the case, and residents of Washington, D.C. who will function jurors.
Prosecutors mentioned Trump has a historical past of inspiring his supporters to harass and threaten individuals he singles out for public criticism.
1000’s of Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, combating with police and sending lawmakers fleeing for his or her lives, in a failed bid to overturn Trump’s election defeat. Trump continues to make the false declare that his loss was the results of fraud.
(Reporting by Andrew Goudsward; Enhancing by Scott Malone and Kim Coghill)