Trump Lawyers Say New York Filing Is 'Irrelevant' to DC Gag Order Hearing – The Messenger
Donald Trump's lawyers on Friday filed a response to prosecutors' Thursday filing, arguing that any threats the former president could have triggered against Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron or his court staff are "irrelevant" to the need for a gag order in the case Trump faces in Washington, D.C.
"To date, the prosecution has never submitted any evidence of alleged 'threats' or 'harassment' to any prosecutor, court staffer or potential witness in this case," the filing reads. "This falls short of the 'solidity of evidence' required to justify a prior restraint."
The back-and-forth comes in response to a filing submitted by special counsel Jack Smith's prosecutors on Thanksgiving seeking to submit as evidence a related filing in the ongoing civil fraud trial Trump faces in New York.
"Because the parties referenced this matter in their briefs, and the Court inquired at oral argument about evidence of ongoing threats and harassment, the Government respectfully submits Exhibit E (and the related documents, for completeness) as supplemental authority," prosecutors wrote in their filing.
The New York filing includes a sworn affidavit by a court officer who said that she receives a barrage of threats and harassment when Trump attacks her online. The former president named and attacked Engoron's on his social media platform Truth Social on Thursday, just one day after the court discussed the threats she has received online pertaining to the case.
The filings come as Trump seeks to nullify a partial gag order that restricts his public comments about his Washington, D.C. election-subversion criminal case. U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan issued the order in October. It bars Trump and parties related to the case from making statements that "target" attorneys and staff, court staff and supporting personnel.