On Friday afternoon, New York County Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron expanded his gag order in the Trump Organization fraud case. He made clear again that, in essence, he would not stand for any more of Trump’s or his lawyers’ attempts at intimidation via social media or verbal diarrhea:
“The threat of, and actual, violence resulting from heated political rhetoric is well-documented,” Engoron wrote. “Since the commencement of this bench trial, my chambers have been inundated with hundreds of harassing and threatening phone calls, voicemails, emails, letters, and packages. The First Amendment right of defendants and their attorneys to comment on my staff is far and away outweighed by the need to protect them from threats and physical harm.”
On Oct. 3, 2023, Engoron imposed a gag order narrowly barring Trump from making statements about his staff after he smeared the judge’s law clerk on Truth Social. The order did not prevent Trump from making any statements about the judge or New York Attorney General Letitia James, who brought the lawsuit threatening the former president’s business empire.
Trump has attacked both the judge and the attorney general via social media repeatedly since that time, without violating the terms of the gag order.
“As I have made clear, as the Judge in this case and the trier of fact, the gag order does not apply to me,” Engoron wrote. “However, I will not tolerate, under any circumstances, remarks about my court staff.”
Engoron already has twice sanctioned Donald Trump, fining him a total of $15,000 for violations.
Don’t play chicken with these children. Get “serious.”
One more time, this is how the Party of Trump rolls:
1. Find the line
2. Step over it
3. Dare anyone to push you back
4. If no one does, that’s the new line
5. Repeat