The Department of Justice Friday evening requested a protective order in former President Donald Trump’s election fraud case, according to a New York Post report.
Special Counsel Jack Smith claimed in his court filing that Trump needs strict orders forbidding his publicly sharing key details about the four-count indictment handed down Tuesday.
This move follows a post made by Trump on his social media platform, Truth Social, that suggested retaliation against his detractors. The post, however, was not clear about the specifics of the perceived threat.
“IF YOU GO AFTER ME, I’M COMING AFTER YOU!” declared the former president in a Friday post to his Truth account.
Prosecutors have voiced their worries about the potential for Trump to share sensitive case information on social media.
Their proposed solution is a federal court-mandated protective order to control Trump’s public dissemination of evidence related to the case. Prosecutors discussed several drafts but have yet to finalize the document.
The request for a protective order comes as Trump maintains his innocence regarding charges related to attempts to overturn the 2020 election results. He has publicly pleaded not guilty to these charges.
The order proposed by the DOJ aims to restrict the dissemination of materials provided by the government. This includes particularly sensitive information, such as grand jury witness testimony.
If approved, the protective order would apply not only to Trump but also to his legal team, instructing them not to disclose any materials obtained during the discovery process to unauthorized individuals.
The motivation behind this move, according to prosecutors, is to safeguard witnesses and ensure the fair administration of justice. They note a history of Trump posts they believe targets individuals involved in his cases.
The former president, however, continues to refute the charges against him. His legal team frames the case as a persecution rather than a fair trial.
Critics have voiced concerns that such a protective order could infringe upon First Amendment rights.
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