According to NBC, a federal judge issued a protective order that prohibits former President Donald Trump from disclosing or disseminating evidence on social media that is set to be turned over to him by the government in a classified documents case. The order also applies to Walt Nauta, Trump’s co-defendant in the criminal case involving alleged mishandling of national security information. The order states that the discovery materials and any derived information should not be shared with the public, news media, or on any social media platform without prior notice and consent from the United States or approval from the court.
The order restricts Trump and Nauta from disclosing the government’s evidence to individuals not directly involved in the case unless explicitly permitted by a judge. Violation of the order could result in criminal contempt charges. Additionally, the order places limitations on Trump’s access to the material, stating that he can only access it under the direct supervision of his defense counsel or their staff, and he is not allowed to retain copies of the discovery material.
The judge’s ruling aligns with a request for a protective order filed by the government on Friday, to which Trump and Nauta’s lawyers expressed no objections. The information being safeguarded by the order includes sensitive and confidential information, such as investigative techniques, non-public details about potential witnesses and third parties, financial information, location information, and personal information stored on electronic devices and accounts. The government argued that the disclosure of such materials could compromise ongoing investigations and potentially identify individuals who have not been charged.
The Discovery Materials, along with any information derived therefrom, shall not be disclosed to the public or the news media, or disseminated on any news or social media platform, without prior notice to and consent of the United States or approval of the Court
Trump, aged 77, was indicted earlier this month on 37 federal felony counts, including willful retention of national defense information, making false statements, and conspiracy to obstruct justice. He pleaded not guilty at his arraignment, while Nauta, whose lawyer has not commented on the case, is expected to enter a not guilty plea in the following week.
This protective order mirrors a similar order imposed in the New York criminal case against Trump, where he faces multiple counts of falsifying business records. In that case, Trump’s attorneys had raised objections to certain aspects of the order. Prosecutors from the Manhattan district attorney’s office argued for the restrictions, citing the substantial risk that Trump could inappropriately use the evidence and his history of attacking individuals involved in legal proceedings against him, potentially endangering their safety and that of their families.
Defendants shall only have access to Discovery Materials under the direct supervision of Defense Counsel or a member of Defense Counsel’s staff. Defendants shall not retain copies of Discovery Material,” the ruling said.
The ruling largely tracks with a request for a protective order the government filed in the case on Friday. The government said in that filing that Trump and Nauta’s lawyers had “no objections to this motion or the protective order.”
