Donald Trump’s lawyers asked a judge Monday to limit the protective order proposed by federal prosecutors last week to bar the former president from publicly disclosing certain evidence gathered during the 2020 election investigation.
In a 29-page document, Trump’s lawyers argued that the administration’s proposal was “too broad” and instead asked Judge Tanya Chutkan to adopt a revised order “to protect only genuinely sensitive materials from public view.” public”.
“The government requests that the Court assume the role of censor and impose regulations based on the content of President Trump’s political speech that would prohibit him from publicly discussing or disclosing all non-public documents produced by the government, including both allegedly sensitive material and documents potentially non-sensitive exculpatory ones,” they wrote.
A spokesperson for the special counsel’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In their proposal Friday, prosecutors cited Trump’s social media posts in asking the judge to bar the former president and his defense team from publicly disclosing certain evidence in the case.
Trump’s disclosure of details or grand jury transcripts “could have a chilling, damaging effect on witnesses or adversely affect the fair administration of justice in this case,” prosecutors argued in their motion.
Chutkan had directed Trump’s lawyers to respond to the government’s proposal by 5:00 p.m. Monday.
Trump was indicted last week on charges including conspiracy to defraud the United States. He has pleaded not guilty and has publicly condemned the charges against him.
Earlier Monday, in a post on his Truth Social social media platform, Trump suggested that special counsel Jack Smith was trampling on his First Amendment rights. He also described Chutkan as Smith’s “number one pick”, demanding his recusal.
Tanya Chutkan is a 61-year-old Jamaican immigrant. She knows her life and trajectory. To see more from Telemundo, visit
The indictment pointed to the former president’s First Amendment right to “speak publicly” and make false claims about the election and challenge the results through “lawful and appropriate means,” such as a recount or trial. But he sought to differentiate that speech from “illegal means of discounting legitimate votes and subverting the electoral results.”
Chutkan, who once refused Trump’s request to block the House committee on January 6 from obtaining White House documents from his administration related to the riots on Capitol Hill, was randomly assigned to oversee proceedings in the case of the 2020 elections.
He is expected to schedule a trial date at a hearing set for August 28.
