U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a motion on Friday to stop former President Donald Trump from publicly disclosing any evidence that has been shared with his legal team.
This action is taken in relation to the ongoing prosecution stemming from the investigation conducted by Special Counsel Jack Smith regarding Trumpโs handling of White House documents.
Trump made an appearance in a federal court on Tuesday, where he was formally charged with 37 counts in connection with Smithโs investigation.
โThe Discovery Materials, along with any information derived therefrom, shall not be disclosed to the public or the news media, or disseminated on any news or social media platform, without prior notice to and consent of the United States or approval of the Court,โ DOJ attorneys wrote.
The DOJโs request for a protective order notes that certain โmaterials also include information pertaining to ongoing investigations, the disclosure of which could compromise those investigations and identify uncharged individuals.โ
Former federal prosecutor Mitchell Epner informed Law&Crime that the proposed request from DOJ attorney Jay Bratt โclearly leaves open the possibility that additional people will be charged.โ
Besides the former president, prosecutors have also filed charges against Trumpโs aide, Walt Nauta.
The DOJ is seeking a protective order similar to the one in place in Trumpโs criminal case in Manhattan, where prosecutors claim that the former president falsified business records.
During that period, Trump asserted that the judge had โviolatedโ his First Amendment rights by imposing the protective order, which restricts him from sharing evidence on โany news or social media platformsโ without prior approval from the court.
โThis is the protective order that Trump is going to find extraordinarily difficult to comply with,โ Epner told Law&Crime.
The DOJโs proposed protective order would also prohibit Trump from keeping a copy of the evidence against him and only allow him to review it in the presence of his lawyers.
โDefendants shall only have access to Discovery Materials under the direct supervision of Defense Counsel or a member of Defense Counselโs staff,โ the DOJ stated. โDefendants shall not retain copies of Discovery Material. Defendants may take notes regarding Discovery Materials, but such notes shall be stored securely by Defense Counsel.โ
Despite Judge Aileen Cannon overseeing the criminal case, she passed the DOJโs request to Judge Bruce Reinhart, who approved the Mar-a-Lago search warrant.
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