Staff Reports
In a stunning victory for freedom of speech, the New York appeals court has temporarily lifted the unjust gag order against former President Donald Trump in his civil fraud trial. This move comes after Trump’s legal team filed an emergency lawsuit, asserting that the gag orders posed a serious threat to fair treatment in the case.
The presiding judge, Arthur F. Engoron, had imposed the gag order on Trump after the former president criticized a law clerk in a social media post, calling her out for her partisan leanings. The order forbade Trump from making any further comments about the clerk and other court staff. However, Trump’s legal team argued that this restriction cast doubt on Judge Engoron’s ability to remain impartial in the case.
VICTORY: My statement on the New York Appellate Court lifting the unconstitutional “gag order” in New York’s politicized case against President Trump and the Trump Organization. pic.twitter.com/9JOgTtr3OO
— Elise Stefanik (@EliseStefanik) November 16, 2023
Trump, who has faced fines for violating the gag order, took to social media to express his relief and call out the injustice he faced. He accused Judge Engoron of partisanship, labeling the gag order as “ridiculous and unconstitutional.” Trump also denounced the New York Attorney General Letitia James, slamming her “illegal witch hunt” against him and claiming that the judge’s actions would drive businesses and jobs away from New York.
The decision by the New York Appellate Division to overturn the gag order was met with jubilation by Trump and his supporters. Representative Elise Stefanik, who has been a vocal advocate for Trump, hailed the appeals court’s ruling as a “victory” and celebrated the end of what she called an “unconstitutional gag order.”
The lifting of the gag order represents a win for free speech and a blow to the biased treatment that Trump has faced in the New York courts. It is a reminder that no one, not even a former president, should have their voice silenced by partisan judges.
