ALBAWABA - In a significant development in the legal battle surrounding the "hush money" payments made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels during the 2016 Presidential elections, former US President Donald Trump has been slapped with a speech ban by Judge Juan Merchan.
The case, one of four criminal proceedings against Trump, alleges that he paid "hush money" to Daniels to silence her about their alleged affair during the 2016 elections. Judge Merchan's latest ruling imposes strict restrictions on Trump's ability to speak about the case.
Under the imposed ban, Trump is prohibited from making any statements intended to influence the proceedings or discussing the case with his legal team.
Additionally, he is barred from commenting on potential or actual jury members. Judge Merchan cited Trump's history of making "threatening, inciting, derogatory" remarks towards individuals involved in the justice system as grounds for the speech ban.
The case stems from allegations made by Daniels, who claimed to have signed a nondisclosure agreement in 2016 in exchange for a $130,000 payment from Trump's lawyer, Michael Cohen.
While Trump denied Daniels' claims, Cohen later admitted to making the payment on Trump's behalf. Cohen's subsequent arrest and conviction on charges related to campaign finance violations further intensified scrutiny on the case.
Trump, who previously faced accusations of tampering with financial records to conceal the payment, vehemently denied all charges during a court appearance last year. With the trial set to commence with jury selection on April 15th, the speech ban adds another layer of complexity to the ongoing legal battle.
