Former U.S. President Donald Trump makes remarks during an event after he was impeached over allegations of classified documents, at Trump National Golf Club, in Bedminster, New Jersey, U.S., May 13 6 year 2023.
Amr Alfiky | Reuters
A federal judge issued a protective order on Monday barring former President Donald Trump from disclosing — or keeping — evidence transferred to him by the government in the case of classified social media documents.
Orders against Trump and Walt Nauta, his co-conspirators in a criminal case accusing him of mishandling national security information, forbid them from sharing evidence that federal investigators began turning over to attorneys. theirs as part of the investigation of the case.
“Discovery material, together with any information derived therefrom, shall not be disclosed to the public or media, or disseminated on any news or social media platform, without with prior notice and consent of the United States or approval of the Court,” Judge Bruce Reinhart said in the order.
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It forbids them from disclosing information about government evidence to people not directly involved in the case without the express permission of the judge, and warns them they could face contempt charges. usually criminal if the order is violated.
It also places limits on Trump’s access to the document.
“The Defendant shall have access to the Discovery Document only under the direct supervision of the Defense Counsel or a member of the Defense Counsel’s staff. Defendant may not keep copies of the Discovery Document” , the ruling said.
The ruling largely follows the request for a protection order the government filed in the lawsuit on Friday. The government said in that filing that attorneys for Trump and Nauta “do not object to this offer or the order of protection.”
Trump’s attorney, Todd Blanche, declined to comment on the order.
Information that prosecutors seek to protect includes “confidential and sensitive information”, including “information revealing sensitive but unclassified investigative techniques; related non-public information to potential witnesses and other third parties (including grand jury minutes and exhibits and audio recordings of witness interviews); third-party financial information; location information third-party location; and personal information contained on electronic devices and accounts.”
“The documents also include information relevant to ongoing investigations, the disclosure of which may affect those investigations and the identification of individuals not charged,” the filing said. their Friday said.
Trump, 77, indicted earlier this month about 37 federal felonies, including knowingly withholding national defense information, causing f
as well as statements and representations, and obstruction of justice.
He begged not guilty at his trial last week. Nauta, whose attorney has declined to comment on the case, is expected to plead not guilty next week.
Trump is slap with a similar order in a criminal case in New York, where he was charged with dozens of counts of forging business records. Trump’s attorneys objected to parts of the order in that case.
Prosecutors from the Manhattan district attorney’s office said those restrictions were necessary because the “risk” Trump would use “inappropriate” evidence was “huge.”
“Donald J. Trump has a long and perhaps unique history of attacking witnesses, investigators, prosecutors, trial jurors, grand juries, judges and others. participating in the proceedings against him, putting those individuals and their families at significant safety risk,” the document reads. The DA office argued in a file a court application.
Trump pleaded not guilty in that case.
