DOJ Response Confirms It Seeks Trump ‘Gag Order’ amid the 2024 Presidential Campaign

Special Counsel Jack Smith responded on Monday evening to the Trump legal team’s objection to a motion for protective order, similar in some regards to a “gag order,” due to alleged concerns that President Trump’s remarks could become problematic for the trial. “The central purpose of criminal discovery is to provide the defendant with materials necessary to prepare for a fair trial,” the Special Counsel’s office argued. “To facilitate the efficient production of discovery to the defense, the Government proposed a reasonable protective order consistent with current practice in this District. The defendant instead proposed an order designed to allow…