A New York state appeals court has lifted a temporary hold on a gag order imposed on former President Donald Trump, reinstating the order that came from a lower court judge in the civil case involving his Trump Organization properties.
The original gag order from Judge Arthur Engoron came about after Trump made baseless and incendiary claims on social media that Engoron and his court staff were biased against him. Engoron came to the conclusion that Trump’s remarks posed a potential danger to his staff, and ordered Trump to limit his criticisms to the actual facts of the case, not the people or staff involved in it.
“Personal attacks on members of my court staff are unacceptable, not appropriate, and I will not tolerate them,” Engoron said in issuing the order last month.
Trump has been fined for breaking the order and for refusing to delete disparaging messages he posted online. His lawyers appealed the order last month, prompting the appellate court to place a temporary hold on it until they could decide on the matter.
On Thursday, the appellate court ruled that the order could go back into place.
“Upon reading and filing the papers with respect to the motion, and due deliberation having been had thereon, it is ordered that the motion is denied,” the court’s order reads. “The interim relief granted by order of a Justice of this Court, dated November 16, 2023, is hereby vacated.”
Trump has the power to appeal this latest order to the state Supreme Court. His posts on social media immediately after the order was issued seem to imply he will defy the order.
Within hours of the order’s reinstatement, Trump shared posts on Truth Social attacking Engoron and his wife, alleging that she is the owner of a social media account sharing anti-Trump content.
“This is the most unfair Trial in the History of New York, and I’ve had some pretty unfair Trials!” Trump said in one of the posts attacking Engoron’s wife, Dawn Engoron.
Dawn Engoron has stated that she isn’t the owner of the account Trump is alleging belongs to her.
“I do not have a Twitter account. This is not me. I have not posted any anti Trump messages,” she told Newsweek.
If Trump continues to attack the judge, his staff or his family on social media, he could be subject to more punishments from Engoron, the state judge has said. Such punishments could include monetary fines or even jail time, to prevent him from making further attacks that could put individuals in harm’s way or otherwise influence the case.
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