Former President Trump, right, exits Trump Tower in New York City on Monday, April 15, 2024. Jury selection begins today in the so-called hush money trial in Manhattan Criminal Court this morning. Prosecutor Matthew Colangelo speaks in a Department of Justice video. (Fox News Digital/DOJ )
Trump's team repeatedly appealed the order and have been denied.
Trump defense attorney Todd Blanche wrote a letter to Merchan on Tuesday afternoon requesting, yet again, that the order be lifted, citing the 2024 presidential election and the first debate against President Biden on June 27, as well as the First Amendment rights of the former president and his supporters.
However, Manhattan prosecutor Matthew Colangelo, on behalf of Bragg, sent a letter to Merchan arguing against Trump’s requests.
TRUMP SAYS GUILTY VERDICT IS A 'SCAR' ON NEW YORK JUSTICE SYSTEM, VOWS TO 'KEEP FIGHTING'
"The People oppose any immediate termination of the Orders and agree with defendant's proposal for further briefing. We request that the Court adopt the same briefing schedule that the Court set for all other posttrial motions, with defendant's motion due on June 13 and the People's response due by June 27," he wrote.
Colangelo said Trump's request "asserts that the stated bases for the Court's Orders no longer exist ‘because the trial has concluded.’"
"The Court's Orders, however, were based not only on the need to avoid threats to the fairness of the trial itself, see March 26 Order at 3, but also on the Court's broader ‘obligation to prevent actual harm to the integrity of the proceedings’; to protect ‘the orderly administration of this Court’; and to avoid ‘risk[s] to the administration of justice.’"
Former President Trump arrives to Trump Tower on Thursday, May 30, 2024 after being found guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree. (Felipe Ramales for Fox News Digital)
"The magnitude of that decision is not lost on me," Merchan said. "Your continued willful violation of the court’s order…constitutes a direct attack…and will not be allowed to continue…It is not allowed to continue."
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Trump and his defense attorneys have maintained that the former president and presumptive Republican presidential nominee should not be bound by the gag order, saying it violates his First Amendment rights as well as the First Amendment rights of his supporters.
Trump’s sentencing date is set for July 11, just four days before the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, where he is expected to be formally nominated as the 2024 Republican presidential nominee.
Fox News' Maria Paronich contributed to this report.
Brooke Singman is a political correspondent and reporter for Fox News Digital, Fox News Channel and FOX Business.
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