Former White House ethics lawyer Jim Schultz believes that the judge overseeing former President Trump’s hush money case will likely view his recent social media activity as a violation of the gag order in the case.
During an appearance on “CNN News Central,” Schultz, who served in the Trump administration, expressed his opinion that Trump’s reposting of quotes from others, including references to jurors, constitutes a breach of the gag order.
Donald J. Trump (Credits: POLITICO.eu)
Although Schultz acknowledged that the judge has various options for addressing such violations, he emphasized that imprisonment is unlikely.
Schultz’s comments follow Trump’s indirect reference to prospective jurors in the case, where he quoted Fox News host Jesse Watters. The gag order explicitly prohibits Trump from publicly discussing potential or current jurors involved in the trial.
Legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin echoed Schultz’s concerns, describing Trump’s actions as an attempt to intimidate jurors and a clear violation of the gag order. Toobin emphasized that as a criminal defendant, Trump has limited rights regarding interference in the trial process.
Trump (Credits: Biography (Bio.))
The ongoing trial, which commenced earlier this week, marks a historic moment as the first criminal trial involving a sitting or former president in U.S. history. Jury selection concluded on Friday after several days, with the trial set to proceed next week.
At the heart of the case are allegations that Trump manipulated business records to conceal a payment made to an adult film star to conceal an alleged affair prior to the 2016 election. Trump has pleaded not guilty to these charges.
