Former U.S. President Donald Trump leaves the courthouse after a jury found him guilty on all 34 felonies during his criminal trial in the New York State Supreme Court on May 30, 2024.
Justin Lane | via Reuters
New York’s highest court on Tuesday denied former President Donald Trump’s appeal of a publicity ban in his admissions trial.
In a brief decision, the New York Court of Appeals declined to accept Trump’s motion “on the grounds that no substantive constitutional issues were directly involved.”
The decision means a gag order banning President Trump from commenting on jurors, witnesses and other parties involved in the Manhattan Supreme Court case remains in effect.
Trump’s lawyers asked Judge Juan Mercan, who presided over the trial, to end the gag order now that the trial is over.
But the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office urged Merchan to keep the restrictions in place at least until a sentencing hearing is held and certain post-trial motions are resolved.
Trump campaign spokesman Stephen Cheng said in a statement that the former president and his lawyers “will continue to fight the unconstitutional gag order imposed by Judge Murchan.”
“This order unfairly silences President Trump at the height of the campaign,” said Director Cheng, adding, “Voters have a fundamental right to hear his message.”
Trump’s lawyer Todd Blanche did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment. A Manhattan DA spokeswoman declined to comment.
Trump was found guilty last month on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records as part of a scheme to hide that he had paid hush money to porn star Stormy Daniels.
The presumptive Republican presidential candidate is scheduled to be sentenced on July 11, just four days before his party’s national convention.
In New York, the crime of falsifying business records is punishable by up to four years in prison, but Merchant can impose a sentence that could set Trump free at any time.
