A judge has partially lifted a gag order on Donald Trump in his New York hush money case, where he was convicted of falsifying business records last month.
Trump is now allowed to make public comments about witnesses in the case and generally about the jurors in his trial, Judge Juan Merchan wrote in Tuesday’s ruling.
The former president remains banned from speaking publicly about court staff, prosecutors and their families.
Judge Merchan said the identities of the jurors – kept secret due to the high-profile nature of the trial – would also be protected.
Trump has frequently spoken out against gag orders, which he believes are unconstitutional.
In a statement Tuesday, his spokesman called Justice Mercan’s decision “another unlawful decision by a deeply conflicted judge.”
Judge Mercan first imposed a gag order on Trump in late March, but expanded it a week later after Trump attacked the judge’s daughter on social media.
Trump was ultimately fined thousands of dollars and threatened with jail time for violating the order during his trial.
His legal team asked for the entire gag order to be lifted after a New York jury found Trump guilty in May. He was convicted of falsifying business records to cover up the hush money payments paid to an adult film star before the 2016 election.
Prosecutors did not object to lifting the portion of the gag order that prevents Trump from commenting on witnesses.
The former president made several social media posts attacking the prosecution’s key witness, his former lawyer, Michael Cohen.
Trump argued that he was simply responding to attacks from Cohen, who called him many names on social media.
In his ruling, Judge Mercan said that while “this Court has a strong preference” to continue to prohibit Trump from speaking about the grand jury, he said consistency in the courts requiring Trump is now allowed to comment on the 12-member panel.
However, Judge Mercan said, their identities will be kept confidential.
