Trump Gag Order Lifted — For Now — In NY Fraud Trial: AP

NEW YORK, NY - A New York appeals court judge temporarily lifted a gag order in former President Donald Trump’s civil fraud trial on Thursday over free speech concerns, the Associated Press reported.

The gag order, which was called "unconstitutional" by Trump's attorneys in an appeal, prohibited the former president from complaining about the judge’s law clerk. It was imposed Oct. 3 by Judge Arthur Engoron.

Engoron later fined Trump $15,000 total for violations and expanded it to his lawyers after they questioned the clerk’s prominent role in the trial, according to the AP.

Judge David Friedman of the state’s intermediate appeals court suspended the gag order Thursday, allowing Trump to openly comment about court staff while a longer appeals process happens.

The gag order lift also applies to Trump’s lawyers and others involved in the trial, the AP reported.

Friedman noted that, while judges do issue gag orders, they are mostly used in criminal cases where there are concerns over comments about the case influencing a jury. There is no jury in Trump’s civil trial.

Trump lawyer Christopher Kise told the AP the appeals court judge “made the right decision and allowed President Trump to take full advantage of his constitutional First Amendment rights to talk about bias in his own trial, what he’s seeing and witnessing in his own trial — which, frankly, everyone needs to see.”

The gag order was issued after Trump spread a social media post about Engoron's law clerk, Patch previously reported.

Trump's post included a photo of the clerk with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer at a campaign event. He wrote the clerk "hates Trump."

Engoron, without naming Trump, said a defendant "posted to a social media account a disparaging, untrue and personally identifying post about a member of my staff."

The judge added that "personal attacks on members of my court staff are unacceptable, not appropriate," and ordered the post deleted, which Trump did.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.