New York judge eases Trump’s news blackout and allows him to attack witnesses

A judge on Tuesday relaxed the news gag order against Donald J. Trump in his criminal trial in Manhattan, allowing the former president to criticize witnesses who testified against him and others involved in the trial that led to his conviction.

Judge Juan M. Merchan, who presided over Trump’s seven-week trial in the spring, ruled that Trump is now free to complain about the prosecution’s witnesses, including his former fixer Michael D. Cohen. Once Trump is convicted on July 11, he will be free to publicly attack other people currently covered by the news blackout, including prosecutors and their relatives.

Mr Trump, the likely Republican presidential nominee, is still subject to another injunction prohibiting him from revealing the identities of jurors or publicly attacking them by name.

But Judge Merchan’s ruling gives Trump a full run at complaining about the jury that convicted him. The judge seemed unclear about his jury decision on Tuesday, writing that “the court would strongly favor expanding these protections,” but he said the law requires him to lift the restrictions.

Repealing the order could reignite Trump’s angry rhetoric about those involved in the case against him – just as he prepares to debate President Biden this week.

Judge Merchan imposed the news gag order before the trial began, while Trump was berating Cohen, the prosecutors and the heavily Democratic jury in Manhattan. During the trial, Trump violated the order 10 times, earning him a $10,000 fine.

At the end of May, the jury found Trump guilty on all 34 counts of falsifying business records in connection with the cover-up of a sex scandal during his 2016 presidential campaign. The verdict, the first criminal conviction of an American president, made Trump a felon.

At the heart of the case was the payment of hush money to porn star Stormy Daniels. Cohen paid Ms. Daniels $130,000 to keep quiet about her story of a sexual encounter with Trump. Trump then falsified records to conceal his repayment to Cohen.

After the ruling, Trump’s lawyers asked Judge Merchan to lift the news blackout entirely. Prosecutors in the Manhattan district attorney’s office who brought the case to trial agreed in a court document filed Friday that the judge could allow Trump to criticize witnesses, but argued that the other key restrictions should remain in place.

Prosecutors cited a wave of threats against District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg and his lawyers.

The New York Police Department has recorded 56 “criminal threats” against Mr. Bragg, his family and prosecutors since early April, according to an affidavit included in the filing.

Such threats, apparently made by Trump supporters, included a post revealing the address of one of Mr Bragg’s associates and bomb threats on the first day of the trial against two people involved in the case.

Others were murderous messages directed at Mr Bragg or his staff, including “We will kill you all,” “You are dead,” and “Your life is over.”

Prosecutors said the threats were “directly related to the defendant’s dangerous rhetoric.”

The news blackout did not affect Judge Merchan or Mr. Bragg personally, but it did prohibit Mr. Trump from attacking their families. Before the trial, Mr. Trump repeatedly attacked the judge’s daughter, a Democratic political consultant.

The former president faces up to four years in prison, although he will probably never see the inside of a cell. Judge Merchan could sentence him to probation or house arrest.