Former president Donald Trump’s attorney in the 2020 election interference said the former president’s legal team opposes a protective order requested by special counsel Jack Smith that would restrict information that Mr. Trump and his allies can share about the case.
Attorney John Lauro told CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday that the protective order that special counsel Jack Smith requested should not be imposed as that information should be made available to the public in the run-up to the 2024 presidential election.
“The press and the American people in a campaign season have a right to know what the evidence is in this case provided that this evidence is not protected otherwise,” Mr. Lauro told the outlet. “So, we’re going to oppose it.”
In this case, Mr. Trump has been charged with one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States, one count of conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, obstruction of and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding—the certification of the electoral vote—and conspiracy against the rights of citizens.
Mr. Trump has pleaded not guilty and has called the investigation an act of election interference meant to hamstring his 2024 presidential bid.
A day after Mr. Trump pleaded not guilty to the criminal charges filed by Mr. Smith, he took to social media to state, “If you go after me, I’m coming after you!”
Protective Order
Mr. Smith responded to Mr. Trump’s social media post by asking U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan, an appointee of former President Barack Obama, to issue a protective order that would restrict what Mr. Trump can share publicly about the case and evidence.
“Such a restriction is particularly important in this case because the defendant has previously issued public statements on social media regarding witnesses, judges, attorneys, and others associated with legal matters pending against him,” Mr. Smith wrote in a filing (pdf), citing the Truth Social post.
By Tom Ozimek
