Judge Orders Trump Not To Share Evidence in Documents Case
A federal judge approved an order Monday to keep former president Donald Trump from revealing the Department of Justice’s evidence against him in the case surrounding his handling of classified documents.
Magistrate judge Bruce Reinhart approved a request by DOJ special counsel Jack Smith for the protective order to prevent Trump from keeping any evidence or discussing it online. Smith and the DOJ brought 37 charges against Trump for storing classified documents in his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.
“The Discovery Materials, along with any information derived therefrom, shall not be disclosed to the public or the news media, or disseminated on any news or social media platform, without prior notice to and consent of the United States or approval of the Court,” Reinhart said in his order.
Trump can not disclose information related to the government’s case against him to anyone not directly involved without permission from the judge.
Trump was arrested and pleaded not guilty on June 13 at a Miami courthouse for allegedly keeping national security documents when he left office and lying about the documents to officials.
Walt Nauta, presidential valet for Trump, is also facing charges in the probe and is expected to plead not guilty next week.
Prosecutors said they are looking to protect “sensitive and confidential information” that includes “information that reveals sensitive but unclassified investigative techniques; non-public information relating to potential witnesses and other third parties (including grand jury transcripts and exhibits and recordings of witness interviews); financial information of third parties; third-party location information; and personal information contained on electronic devices and accounts.”
A similar move was ordered by a New York judge in May in the state’s case against Trump surrounding alleged hush money payments to a porn star.
New York State Supreme Court justice Juan Merchan in early May granted Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg’s request to bar Trump from looking at evidence deemed sensitive without his lawyers present. He also barred Trump from discussing evidence on social media sites.
Bragg brought 34 felony counts of falsifying business records against Trump in February surrounding the payments.
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