Former President Donald Trump, known for his provocative social media posts, has been restricted from posting evidence online amid ongoing legal proceedings.
What Happened: Judge Juan Merchan issued a protective order in favor of the Manhattan prosecutors, stating that the material and information given to Trump’s defense team in the hush-money case is "solely for the purposes of preparing a defense in this matter," reported NBC News.
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The order added that anyone with access to the evidence handed over to Trump's team "shall not copy, disseminate or disclose" the material, including on social media, without getting approval from the court. Trump can view some sensitive information only in the presence of his lawyers and "shall not be permitted to copy, photograph, transcribe, or otherwise independently possess the Limited Dissemination Materials," it said.
Why It Matters: This came after, last month, the prosecutors requested Judge Merchan to impose restrictions on the evidence that Trump can publicly use in the investigation, saying "that will protect the integrity of the materials." Trump’s legal team opposed the motion, contending that it would infringe on Trump’s First Amendment right.
Trump is known for his prolific use of social media. Some of his posts, in the past, have been controversial and drew criticism from many quarters, including social media companies who ultimately banned him from their platforms. After being banned from platforms such as Twitter and Facebook in 2021 for his provocative posts on Jan. 6, Trump launched his own Twitter-like microblogging platform Truth Social.
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