Former U.S. President Donald Trump arrives to address the press after attending the civil fraud trial of the Trump Organization at the New York State Supreme Court in New York City on January 11, 2024.
John Lamparski | AFP | Getty Images
New York state's highest court on Tuesday rejected an appeal by former President Donald Trump of a gag order imposed on him in his civil lawsuit over white collar fraud.
The New York Court of Appeals dismissed Trump's challenge to the order “on the grounds that no substantive constitutional issue was directly involved.”
The court also rejected Trump's request to suspend the gag order “as academic,” likely because the trial is over.
The gag order banned Trump from making public comments about Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron's staff.
Trump's lawyers criticized the order as an excessive restriction on his right to free speech.
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Engoron led Trump's fraud trial and is expected to issue a verdict in the case soon.
The judge imposed the gag order on Trump after the former president repeatedly criticized Engoron's senior law clerk during the trial.
Engoron fined Trump $5,000 in October for posting a post online attacking the employee after he issued the order.
New York Attorney General Letitia James sued Trump in the case for allegedly fraudulently manipulating the stated valuations of real estate assets and its related financial reports for financial gain.
James has asked Engoron to fine Trump $370 million and bar him from conducting real estate business in the state for life and other sanctions.
Trump has denied any wrongdoing.
This is breaking news. Check back for updates.
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