A federal judge has given former President Trump a deadline to explain why he should not be prevented from discussing evidence in the January 6 criminal case. U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan has ordered Trump’s legal team to provide their position on why he should be allowed to talk about the evidence on social media and televised appearances by Monday at 5:00 PM. This order comes after federal prosecutors requested that the judge bar Trump from publicly disclosing some of the evidence against him, citing a recent social media post that could have a negative impact on witnesses. The prosecutors argued that it is crucial to impose restrictions on Trump discussing the case due to his history of making public statements regarding legal matters. Protective orders are common in criminal cases, but the prosecutors emphasized their importance in this case because of Trump’s social media posts.
Trump was arraigned on Thursday on charges including conspiracy and depriving citizens of their rights. He pleaded not guilty and described the allegations against him as “political interference” aimed at undermining his 2024 presidential campaign. Prosecutors pointed out that Trump has written multiple posts referring to the case, including the one mentioned in their filings. They expressed concerns that he could disclose grand jury transcripts or other evidence obtained during the discovery process, which may have a negative impact on witnesses or affect the fair administration of justice. The proposed protective order aims to prevent the improper dissemination or use of discovery materials and is particularly important in this case given Trump’s previous public statements.
A spokesperson for Trump responded to the filing, stating that the cited post was political speech and a response to certain interest groups. Trump’s legal team is expected to respond to the proposed protective order with their own legal brief. During Thursday’s court hearing, Judge Moxila Upadhyaya warned Trump about trying to influence a juror, threatening or bribing a witness, obstructing justice, or retaliating against anyone providing information to the prosecution.
If Judge Chutkan issues the protective order, it would not be the first time this summer. In another case involving classified documents, a federal judge issued a protective order in June preventing Trump from disclosing evidence on social media.
