WASHINGTON: A federal judge has warned former US President Donald Trump from making inflammatory statements in a case for allegedly conspiring to overturn the 2020 election, western media reported on Saturday.
However, Judge Tanya Chuktan, during the 90-minute hearing at a federal courthouse in Washington ruled that Trump can publicly share some of the non-sensitive evidence to his legal team.
The ruling is a major setback to the special counsel who had voiced concern Trump might reveal secret material and intimidate witnesses.
US Judge Warns Trump Against Inflammatory Remarks in 2020 Election Case
During the hearing, Judge Tanya Chuktan observed that inflammatory statements about the case would not be tolerated and would force her to “proceed to trial quickly.”
The judge remarked that the former president’s free speech rights were not absolute keeping in the fact that he is a criminal defendant.
The judge observed t she would take all necessary measures to protect the integrity of these proceedings.
Trump, 77, who has pleaded not guilty in the historic charges of leading a criminal conspiracy that sought to deceive Americans by toppling the 2020 elections was not present for Friday’s hearing.
Earlier the court indicted Trump, along with six other unnamed co-conspirators, plotted to overturn the legitimate results of the 2020 presidential election.
This is Trump’s third criminal indictment since March and poses the most serious threat to his possible return to the White House.
The former president’s spokesperson, Steven Cheung, has accused the current US administration of interfering with the 2024 election by targeting Trump. Trump has also been facing charges of mishandling classified documents and plotting to stop government officials from recovering them.
