Donald Trump ‘Has to Be Controlled,’ Attorney Says
The huge number of abusive and threatening messages received by a clerk in Donald Trump’s fraud trial show why a gag order should be reimposed on the former president, a one-time federal prosecutor has said.
Joyce Vance made her comments as an appellate court decides whether to reimpose the gag order placed on Trump by Judge Arthur Engoron in the Republican’s New York fraud trial.
Last Wednesday, a court staff member filed a submission to the appellate court in which he documented the “hundreds of threats, disparaging and harassing comments and antisemitic messages” sent by Trump supporters.
Donald Trump waves to the crowd on the field during halftime in the Palmetto Bowl between Clemson and South Carolina at Williams Brice Stadium on November 25, 2023 in Columbia, South Carolina. A appellate court is considering whether to reimpose a gag order on Trump in his New York fraud trial.
Sean Rayford/Getty Images
Transcriptions of threatening voicemails after Mr Trump first targeted Judge Engoron’s chief clerk fill more than 275 single-spaced pages, according to Wednesday’s filing by Charles Hollon, an officer-captain with the court’s Department of Public Safety.
“You should be executed,” one message reads. “Trust me when I say this,” reads another. “I will come for you. I don’t care. Ain’t nobody gonna stop me either.”
The filing attaches several voicemail transcriptions, including one left for Engoron’s clerk, Allison Greenfield. It includes antisemitic slurs, baseless accusations of child abuse and insults about her personal appearance.
Trump, his two eldest sons, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, as well as the Trump Organization, are co-defendants in the $250 million civil fraud trial brought by New York attorney General Letitia James. She is accusing the former president of inflating his net worth by billions of dollars to obtain benefits such as better bank loans and reduced tax bills.
In September, Engoron ruled that Trump, his adult sons, their businesses and executives committed fraud in their property valuations. The court will decide on six other accusations, including falsifying business records, insurance fraud and conspiracy claims.
The former president has pleaded not guilty and denies any wrongdoing. Trump has repeatedly claimed the litigation was politically motivated because he remains the frontrunner in the race for the Republican presidential nomination. Newsweek sought email comment from Trump’s legal team on Monday morning.
“I think the judges will decide to uphold the gag order. If Trump had shown the ability to restrain his behaviour, perhaps they would consider whether the measure was necessary. But, as he continues to double down and inflict this kind of damage not just on individuals involved in the system but on the system itself, I think it’s very likely we’ll see the gag order sustained,” Vance said. She was speaking on Sunday on MSNBC’s American Voices With Alicia Menendez.
“No one wants to do anything that comes close to restraining the First Amendment rights of a political candidate, but when you balance the merits at stake here, it seems clear that Trump has to be controlled, and these gag orders are the only way to do it,” Vance added.
Last week, a state appellate court judge temporarily froze two gag orders that Judge Engoron imposed. The appellate court lifted them until it hears a full appeal from Trump’s lawyers, who want the gag orders removed. Engoron’s staff now want them reimposed.
“The implementation of the limited gag orders resulted in a decrease in the number of threats, harassment, and disparaging messages that the judge and his staff received,” Hollon wrote in the filing on Wednesday.
“However, when Mr. Trump violated the gag orders, the number of threatening, harassing and disparaging messages increased,” Hollon added.
Vance said that, in a separate case, federal prosecutor Jack Smith referenced Hollon’s filing while submitting his own request for a gag order in Trump’s election-fraud case in Washington D.C. There, a three-person Court of Appeals is considering whether to reimpose a gag order imposed by Judge Tanya Chutkan.
“In fact, Jack Smith filed on Thanksgiving Day a notice with the court, alerting them to what’s going on in New York and this 275 pages of complaints of emails, of phone calls that the clerk in New York had received and they documented how the threats rose when Trump posted. I think this is compelling in Washington,” Vance said.
“And here is the problem: no court wants to be the court that permits an attack to occur, whether it’s on a witness, or a juror or court personnel, because they didn’t take steps in advance that could have kept Trump from continuing to post,” Vance added.
Trump was indicted on four counts in Washington, D.C., for allegedly working to overturn the results of the 2020 election in the run-up to the January 6, 2021 riot in the U.S. Capitol. Trump has pleaded not guilty to the charges, including conspiracy to defraud the U.S. government and conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Source link
Attorneys and law firms can elevate their online presence with professionally written content from SEO Content Writing Services monthly plan. Our team of experienced writers specializes in crafting blog posts, articles, and written content that accurately reflect the expertise and knowledge of our clients in the legal field. With a keen eye for detail and a thorough understanding of legal terminology, we provide high-quality writing that helps our clients stand out from their competition and engage with their target audience. Trust SEO Content Writing Services for one time article writing or monthly written content to handle all of your written content needs and showcase your law firm's expertise.
If you need written content, blog posts, or articles professionally written for your website, we can help. Go HERE to find out more.
or email us here: myseowritingservices@gmail.com
To find out more about our article writing or blog post services, fill out the form, thank you.