Judge in hush money case hits Trump with partial gag order

The judge presiding over the New York criminal case against Donald Trump on Tuesday slapped the former president with a partial gag order.

The ruling from Judge Juan Merchan orders Trump to “refrain” from “making or directing others to make public statements about known or reasonably foreseeable witnesses concerning their potential participation” in the falsifying business records case, as well as about individual prosecutors, court staff, juror and potential jurors.

The order does not apply to the judge or Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.

The judge said the move was necessary now because “the Defendant’s prior extrajudicial statements establishes a sufficient risk to the administration of justice” and “there exists no less restrictive means to prevent such risk.” 

The judge called Trump’s past attacks “threatening, inflammatory,” and “denigrating,” and said similar attacks would “undoubtedly risk impeding the orderly administration of the Court.”

The case is set to go trial April 15. The judge said “given that the eve of trial is upon us, it is without question that the imminency of the risk of harm is now paramount.”