On Tuesday, the New York Court of Appeals decisively rejected the appeal filed by former President Donald Trump regarding a gag order imposed during his recent civil fraud trial. The court, in a filing on Tuesday, dismissed the appeal on the grounds that it did not involve any “substantial constitutional question.” The decision was made “On the Court’s own motion,” and the appeal was dismissed without costs, with the court deeming that there was no significant constitutional issue at play. The Messenger reported the court’s statement, noting that the “Motion for a stay dismissed as academic.”
Trump’s legal team had contended that the gag order placed unconstitutional restrictions on his freedom of speech. However, a mid-level state appeals court had already rejected Trump’s attempt to overturn the gag order last month, which restrained him from discussing court personnel publicly during the civil fraud trial.
The gag order, issued by Justice Arthur Engoron on October 3, stemmed from Trump’s social media post featuring a photo of the judge’s law clerk alongside U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, falsely claiming a romantic relationship. Despite a temporary pause in Engoron’s order in November, a lower appeals court reinstated the gag order.
During the conclusion of his New York civil trial last Thursday, Trump, despite being barred from delivering a formal closing argument, briefly addressed the court, labeling the proceedings as “a fraud on me.” He claimed innocence and suggested that he was being persecuted by someone running for office, expressing his belief that the situation required going beyond conventional boundaries.
State Attorney General Letitia James had earlier advocated for Trump’s permanent exclusion from New York’s real estate industry, citing “outrageous” fraud. James proposed a penalty of $370 million against Trump and his company for alleged decades of financial fraud.