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Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has asked a judge to impose a limited gag order on former President Donald Trump ahead of his trial for falsifying business records when making hush money payments to two models before the 2016 presidential election.
Bragg wants to prevent Trump from disparaging potential witnesses and others involved in the case.
"Defendant has a long history of making public and inflammatory remarks about the participants in various judicial proceedings against him, including jurors, witnesses, lawyers, and court staff," Bragg's office wrote in a court filing on Monday (February 26). "Those remarks, as well as the inevitable reactions they incite from defendant's followers and allies, pose a significant and imminent threat to the orderly administration of this criminal proceeding and a substantial likelihood of causing material prejudice."
Trump has previously attacked Bragg, Judge Juan Merchan, and his former attorney, Michael Cohen, who is a key witness in the case.
Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung told ABC News that a gag order would "impose an unconstitutional infringement on President Trump's First Amendment rights, including his ability to defend himself, and the rights of all Americans to hear from President Trump."