(LibertyInsider.org) – Former President Donald Trump is facing several legal cases, including one that stems from his real estate business in New York. NY Attorney General Letitia James sued him for allegedly perpetrating fraud by manipulating the values of his real estate assets. The case is before Manhattan Supreme Court Judge Arthur Engoron. After Trump made inflammatory statements on Truth Social, Engoron issued a gag order. The former president’s attorneys appealed the decision. And now, the appeals court has denied the motion.
On Tuesday, January 16, the former president’s claim that his First Amendment rights were infringed on was dismissed by the New York Court of Appeals. The ruling said explained that the panel rejected the appeal because Trump’s lawyers failed to argue that any “substantial constitutional question is directly involved” in the lower court’s decision.
The non-dissemination (gag) order in question was applied at the beginning of the trial, which began in October, because of statements Trump made about Engoron’s staff members. One post accused the principal law clerk of being the girlfriend of Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and included a picture of the two together. Then, Engoron fined Trump $5,000 for not removing the post as ordered. As of the time of writing, it appears to have been removed. Another fine of $10,000 followed days later when Trump was accused of continuing to make disparaging remarks on social media.
The appeals court also ruled the motion to stay the non-dissemination order “as academic” due to the fact that the trial has ended, and Engoron is expected to issue a verdict in the case soon. Trump delivered the closing argument in the case, claiming he made one “honest mistake” that was “immediately corrected,” but otherwise, his financial records were “perfect.”
James is seeking a fine of $370 million levied against the former president and a ban from doing real estate business in New York for life. As with all of his other cases, Trump has denied all of the allegations against him.
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