Former President Donald Trump has presented a significant challenge to the judge overseeing his hush money trial after facing charges from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who is backed by George Soros. Trump expressed on Saturday that he would consider it a “great honor” to be imprisoned if he were to breach a gag order, showing an increased level of criticism directed at New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan and other judicial figures involved in the case, as reported by the Post Millennial.
On Monday, Merchan extended his gag order against Trump to cover not only the judge’s family but also Bragg’s family. The trial is scheduled to commence on April 15. Trump used his Truth Social platform on Saturday to dare Merchan to incarcerate him for violating the order, which many legal experts have deemed unfair and unprecedented.
“Now, we have Merchan, who is not allowing me to talk, thereby violating the Law and the Constitution, all at once. It is so bad what he is trying to get away with – How was he even chosen for this case??? I heard he fought like hell to get it, and all of the rest of them also! If this Partisan Hack wants to put me in the “clink” for speaking the open and obvious TRUTH, I will gladly become a Modern Day Nelson Mandela – It will be my GREAT HONOR. We have to Save our Country from these Political Operatives masquerading as Prosecutors and Judges, and I am willing to sacrifice my Freedom for that worthy cause. We are a Failing Nation, but on November 5th, we will become a Great Nation again. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”
“The judge’s daughter, Loren Merchan, is associated with left-leaning politics and has been involved in the Biden-Harris campaign. Her company, Authentic Campaigns, Inc., has received substantial funding from Democratic sources aiming to oppose Trump,” the PM reported.
Merchan’s order bears resemblance to a gag order in Trump’s criminal case concerning election interference in Washington, D.C.
“Given that the eve of trial is upon us, it is without question that the imminency of the risk of harm is now paramount,” Merchan wrote in a four-page decision granting the prosecution’s request for what it deemed a “narrowly tailored” gag order.
“The judge said the presumptive Republican presidential nominee’s statements have induced fear and necessitated added security measures to protect his targets and investigate threats. Trump’s lawyers fought a gag order, warning it would amount to an unconstitutional and unlawful prior restraint on his free speech rights. Merchan, who had long resisted imposing a gag order, said his obligation to ensure the integrity of the trial outweighed First Amendment concerns,” the Associated Press reported.
In a legal document submitted to the court, attorneys Todd Blanche and Susan Necheles, representing President Trump, expressed their concern regarding the political motivations behind the attacks against him in this case. They emphasized that it is crucial for the voters to have access to President Trump’s unfiltered responses to these attacks, rather than just hearing one side of the debate.
However, due to the gag order imposed by the court, President Trump is prohibited from publicly discussing potential witnesses and jurors involved in the hush-money case. He is also forbidden from instructing others to do so. Violating this order could result in imprisonment, fines, or being held in contempt of court. Furthermore, the gag order also prohibits President Trump from making any statements intended to intimidate or cause distress to the prosecution team, court employees, or their families.
The allegations at the center of President Trump’s hush-money case revolve around his alleged misrepresentation of payments to his former fixer and personal lawyer, Michael Cohen. These payments were recorded as legal fees in his business records, despite actually being used to conceal unfavorable stories about him during the 2016 campaign, with Cohen’s assistance. One notable payment involved $130,000 given to Stormy Daniels on behalf of President Trump, in an attempt to keep her quiet about her alleged previous sexual encounter with him.
