Trump handed gag order in fraud case after former president attacks judge’s clerk online
Rachel Schilke
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The judge overseeing former President Donald Trump‘s civil fraud case in New York has issued a gag order after Trump posted about the judge’s clerk.
“Consider this statement a gag order forbidding all parties from posting emailing or speaking publicly about any of my staff,” Judge Arthur Engoron said, according to reports from within the courtroom.
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Engoron said failure to abide by the gag order would result in “serious sanctions.”
“Personal attacks on members of my court staff are unacceptable, inappropriate, and I will not tolerate them in any circumstances,” Engoron said.
In a now-deleted social media post, Trump extended his infamous attacks to Allison Greenfield, Engoron’s clerk, while in the courtroom with her. He posted a photograph of Greenfield taken with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), calling for the case to be dismissed, according to Newsweek.
“Schumer’s girlfriend, Alison R. Greenfield, is running this case against me. How disgraceful! This case should be dismissed immediately!!” he wrote, linking to Greenfield’s Instagram account.
There is no evidence that Greenfield or Schumer have any romantic connection.
Trump’s trial in New York began on Monday, centering around claims of “persistent and repeated” fraud involving himself, his eldest sons, and the Trump Organization’s executives.
New York Attorney General Letitia James brought the $250 million lawsuit last September, alleging that the defendants committed repeated fraud by inflating assets on financial statements to get better terms on real estate loans and insurance policies.
The former president accused James of providing “false” and “misleading information” about his finances, calling her “a very corrupt and incompetent attorney general.”
It is possible Engoron could issue a broader gag order in the future, as the gag order issued Tuesday appears to be narrowly targeted at court staff.
Trump’s comments about his numerous ongoing legal cases have sparked criticism from prosecutors involved in those cases and lawmakers. Several have filed requests to judges to impose a gag order on the former president.
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Special counsel Jack Smith requested a gag order in the federal case involving the former president’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election and the Jan. 6, 2021, riots at the U.S. Capitol. U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan scheduled a hearing for Oct. 16 to hear arguments on the gag order request.
Trump’s legal counsel has pushed against gag order requests, stating that it will prevent him from campaigning as a current Republican presidential candidate for the 2024 election.