On Friday, in an effort to silence former President Donald Trump, from releasing any information to the public, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) prosecutors filed a motion, to prevent Trump from releasing any evidence shared with his legal team to the media. This would apply to any information that applies during his prosecution, stemming from Special Counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into Trump’s handling of White House documents.
Trump appeared in federal court on Tuesday, where he was arraigned on 37 counts relating to Smith’s investigation.
DOJ attorneys wrote in their motion-
“The 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,” [noting that] “materials also include information pertaining to ongoing investigations, the disclosure of which could compromise those investigations and identify uncharged individuals.”…Adding…
“Defendants shall only have access to Discovery Materials under the direct supervision of Defense Counsel or a member of Defense Counsel’s staff,” .... “Defendants shall not retain copies of Discovery Material. Defendants may take notes regarding Discovery Materials, but such notes shall be stored securely by Defense Counsel.”
-DOJ Attorney Motion
It would seem, the DOJ is not done filing charges against those who are affiliated with Trump and his storage of records at Mar-A-Lago. Aside from Trump, prosecutors have also charged Trump’s aide, Walt Nauta.
Similar to one in effect in Trump’s criminal case arising out of Manhattan, the DOJ is requesting this protective order. The DOJ’s 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.
In the Manhattan case, Trump claimed the judge “violated” his First Amendment rights by implementing the protective order, which prohibited him from sharing evidence to “any news or social media platforms,” without the court’s prior approval.
It will be very telling to see what happens next because, Judge Aileen Cannon, who is overseeing the criminal case, submitted the DOJ’s request to Judge Bruce Reinhart. He was the magistrate judge for the Southern District of Florida, who ultimately approved the Mar-a-Lago search warrant.
“The American people must be assured that no federal agency can trample their First Amendment rights.”
-Mark Meadows