U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan’s Monday decision to place a gag order on former President Donald Trump in the case related to January 6 is “an absolute abomination,” a spokesperson for the 45th president told Breitbart News.
Chutkan barred the 2024 Republican presidential candidate from making comments “publicly targeting” the judge, Special Counsel Jack Smith, and “any other court personnel.” He is also “absolutely prohibited as well” from making statements about their families, according to the Washington Post.
“Today’s decision is an absolute abomination and another partisan knife stuck in the heart of our Democracy by Crooked Joe Biden, who was granted the right to muzzle his political opponent, the leading candidate for the Presidency in 2024, and the most popular political leader in America, President Donald J. Trump,” Trump’s spokesperson said. “President Trump will continue to fight for our Constitution, the American people’s right to support him, and to keep our country free of the chains of weaponized and targeted law enforcement.”
Before the order was issued, Trump’s lawyer John Lauro “said they would appeal any such order, as it would affect important free speech principles, particularly for a leading candidate for president,” the Post reported.
The former president is allowed to argue that his prosecution is politically motivated, but he is not allowed to “vilify and implicitly encourage violence against public servants who are simply doing their jobs,” according to the report. Trump is also barred from making statements about witnesses in the case.
Special Counsel Smith brought four counts against Trump in the case on August 1. They include:
- Count 1 – “Conspiracy to Defraud the United States”- 18 U.S.C. § 371
- Count 2 – “Conspiracy to Obstruct an Official Proceeding” – 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (k)
- Count 3 – “Obstruction of and Attempt to Obstruct an Official Proceeding” – 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (c)
- Count 4 – “Conspiracy Against Rights” – 18 U.S.C § 241
Trump could serve a maximum of 55 years in prison, and could technically face the death penalty under Count 4.
Smith has aimed for a January 2, 2024, trial date during an election year and less than two weeks before the Iowa caucuses.
Wendell Husebø contributed to this report.
