On Monday, New York Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchan issued a ruling prohibiting former President Donald Trump from publicly sharing evidence or discussing the Stormy Daniels hush payment case on his social media platforms.
Additionally, the judge restricted Trump from viewing case evidence unless in the presence of his legal team.
In March, Trump faced 34 criminal counts, including falsifying business records and conspiracy, stemming from hush payments made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels and Playboy model Karen McDougal.
A Manhattan grand jury indicted Trump on these charges, leading to his arrest ahead of arraignment.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg scrutinized the Trump Organization’s ledger and charged Trump for each payment made to his former personal attorney, Michael Cohen.
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The indictment alleged that the payments to Daniels and McDougal were intended to silence them about their affairs with Trump, preventing potential damage to his chances of winning the 2016 election against Hillary Clinton.
Judge Merchan, who has previously donated to President Joe Biden, initially threatened Trump with a gag order in April.
With Monday’s ruling, the judge has now officially barred Trump from disclosing any details about the Stormy Daniels case.
Trump’s legal team is currently attempting to move the case to federal court.
According to CNBC, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office sought the protective order due to concerns that Trump might “inappropriately” use the material or share the information on social media or other public platforms.
A prosecutor in a Manhattan Supreme Court hearing last week deemed this risk to be “substantial.”
Trump’s lawyers had opposed the request for a protective order, which pertains to the discovery material—documents, correspondence, and other items exchanged between opposing parties in a legal case before the trial begins.
With Judge Merchan’s ruling now in place, Trump’s ability to comment on the case or share evidence publicly is severely limited.
