UNITED STATES: Late on Friday, U.S. prosecutors expressed concern about a threatening social media post from Donald Trump, arguing that it indicates he might intimidate witnesses by improperly revealing secret evidence received from the government.
A day after pleading not guilty to charges connected to attempting to sway the 2020 election results against Joe Biden, the former president stated on his Truth Social page on Friday at noon, “IF YOU GO AFTER ME, I’M COMING AFTER YOU!”
In a filing at the Washington federal court, Special Counsel Jack Smith’s office stated concerns about Trump potentially disclosing classified material, like grand jury transcripts, obtained from prosecutors.
As part of the discovery process, prosecutors must provide defendants with proof against them so that they can prepare their defence.
Prosecutors noted that Trump had a history of disparaging judges, attorneys, and witnesses in other cases against him. “It could have a harmful chilling effect on witnesses or adversely affect the fair administration of justice in this case,” they said.
During his arraignment on Thursday, Trump pledged not to intimidate witnesses or communicate with them without legal counsel present.
In their filing, the prosecutors requested U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan issue a protective order, preventing Trump and his attorneys from sharing any discovery materials with unauthorised individuals.
Protective orders are common in instances involving private records, but prosecutors stated that given Trump’s social media comments, it was especially crucial to limit public publication.
A Trump spokesman defended the former president’s social media post in a statement.
“The Truth post cited is the definition of political speech and was in response to Rino, China-loving, dishonest special interest groups, and super PAC’s,” reads the statement.
Trump has also entered a not-guilty plea in two additional criminal proceedings. He is accused of fabricating business records to conceal payments made to a porn star in state charges in Manhattan and federal charges in Miami for allegedly keeping sensitive documents after leaving office and impeding the justice system.
There is a potential fourth indictment looming in Georgia, as Atlanta prosecutors are investigating his actions to overturn the election results in that state.
Trump has consistently depicted these investigations as a political witch hunt aimed at obstructing his 2024 campaign.
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