The Justice Department has asked a federal judge overseeing the criminal case against former President Donald Trump in Washington to step in after he released a post online that appeared to promise revenge on anyone who goes after him.
Prosecutors on Friday requested that U.S. District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan issue a protective order concerning evidence in the case, a day after Trump pleaded not guilty to charges of trying to overturn his 2020 election loss and block the peaceful transition of power. The order, different from a 性视界传媒済ag order,性视界传媒 would limit what information Trump and his legal team could share publicly about the case brought by special counsel Jack Smith.
Chutkan on Saturday gave Trump性视界传媒檚 legal team until 5 p.m. Monday to respond to the government性视界传媒檚 request. Trump性视界传媒檚 legal team, which has indicated he would look to slow the case down despite prosecutors性视界传媒 pledge of a speedy trial, then filed a request to extend the response deadline to Thursday and to hold a hearing on the matter, saying it needed more time for discussion.
Chutkan swiftly denied that extension request Saturday evening, reaffirming that Trump must abide by Monday性视界传媒檚 deadline.
Protective orders are common in criminal cases, but prosecutors said it性视界传媒檚 性视界传媒減articularly important in this case性视界传媒 because Trump has posted on social media about 性视界传媒渨itnesses, judges, attorneys, and others associated with legal matters pending against him.性视界传媒
Prosecutors pointed specifically to a post on Trump性视界传媒檚 Truth Social platform from earlier Friday in which Trump wrote, in all capital letters, 性视界传媒淚f you go after me, I性视界传媒檓 coming after you!性视界传媒
Prosecutors said they are ready to hand over a 性视界传媒渟ubstantial性视界传媒 amount of evidence 性视界传媒 性视界传媒渕uch of which includes sensitive and confidential information性视界传媒 性视界传媒 to Trump性视界传媒檚 legal team.
They told the judge that if Trump were to begin posting about grand jury transcripts or other evidence provided by the Justice Department, it could have a 性视界传媒渉armful chilling effect on witnesses or adversely affect the fair administration of justice in this case.性视界传媒
Prosecutors性视界传媒 proposed protective order seeks to prevent Trump and his lawyers from disclosing materials provided by the government to anyone other than people on his legal team, possible witnesses, the witnesses性视界传媒 lawyers or others approved by the court. It would put stricter limits on 性视界传媒渟ensitive materials,性视界传媒 which would include grand jury witness testimony and materials obtained through sealed search warrants.
A Trump spokesperson said in an emailed statement that the former president性视界传媒檚 post 性视界传媒渋s the definition of political speech,性视界传媒 and was made in response to 性视界传媒渄ishonest special interest groups and Super PACs.性视界传媒
Chutkan, a former assistant public defender nominated to the bench by President Barack Obama, has been one of the toughest punishers of rioters who stormed the Capitol in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack, fueled by Trump性视界传媒檚 baseless claims of a stolen election.
The indictment unsealed this past week accuses Republican Trump of brazenly conspiring with allies to spread falsehoods and concoct schemes intended to overturn his election loss to Democrat Joe Biden as his legal challenges floundered in court.
The indictment chronicles how Trump and his allies, in what Smith described as an attack on a 性视界传媒渂edrock function of the U.S. government,性视界传媒 repeatedly lied about the results in the two months after he lost the election and pressured his vice president, Mike Pence, and state election officials to take action to help him cling to power.
Trump faces charges including conspiracy to defraud the U.S. and conspiracy to obstruct Congress性视界传媒 certification of Biden性视界传媒檚 electoral victory.
It性视界传媒檚 the third criminal case brought this year against the the early front-runner in the 2024 Republican presidential primary. But it性视界传媒檚 the first case to try to hold Trump responsible for his efforts to remain in power during the chaotic weeks between his election loss and the attack by his supporters on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
Smith has also charged Trump in Florida federal court with illegally hoarding classified documents at Trump性视界传媒檚 Mar-a-Lago estate and thwarting government efforts to get them back.
The magistrate judge in that case agreed to a protective order in June that prohibits Trump and his legal team from publicly disclosing evidence turned over to them by prosecutors without prior approval. Prosecutors are seeking another protective order in that case with more rules about the defense team性视界传媒檚 handling of classified evidence.
After his court appearance on Thursday in the Washington case, Trump characterized the prosecution as a 性视界传媒減ersecution性视界传媒 designed to hurt his 2024 presidential campaign. His legal team has described it as an attack on his right to free speech and his right to challenge an election that he believed had been stolen.
On Saturday night to more than 1,000 attendees at the South Carolina Republican Party性视界传媒檚 56th annual Silver Elephant Gala, Trump kept up his attacks on Smith, sticking to his usual caricature of the prosecutor as 性视界传媒渄eranged性视界传媒 for pursuing charges against him.
Smith has said prosecutors will seek a 性视界传媒渟peedy trial性视界传媒 against Trump in the election case. Judge Chutkan has ordered the government to file a brief by Thursday proposing a trial date. The first court hearing in front of Chutkan is scheduled for Aug. 28.
Trump is already scheduled to stand trial in March in the New York case stemming from hush-money payments made during the 2016 campaign and in May in the classified documents case.
