WASHINGTON – The US District Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia refused to hear the appeal of former President Donald Trump. he was given a gag order in a federal election meddling suit.
Trump had asked both three-judge panels to rehear the appeal first heard the appeal and the full DC circuit court. None of the justices on the full bench requested a vote on Trump’s motion, meaning it was automatically denied.
Trump would have to take it to the Supreme Court to further appeal the traffic ruling.
U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan, who is overseeing special counsel Jack Smith’s election interference case against Trump, imposed a gag order on the former president last year after he posted offensive messages about key people involved in the case on social media.
Trump has publicly targeted Chutka, as well as Smith and other prosecutors in his office, as well as potential witnesses in the case. For example, the former president called Smith a “thug” and “pervert” on social media. Chutkan had issued a gag order to prevent him from targeting them.
There is a former president protested to the court since the decision was made. At the beginning of December, A A federal appeals court in D.C. narrowed the decision, allows Trump to respond if a high-profile witness makes disparaging comments about him and criticizes Smith himself.
A three-judge panel of the same appeals court is expected to rule soon on Trump’s effort to dismiss a federal election interference case against him alleging presidential immunity. There is Trump argued that he should be protected from prosecution because his efforts to nullify the 2020 elections fell within his official duties as president.
The election interference trial is currently scheduled to begin on March 4, but could be delayed if the court does not resolve the immunity issue or if Trump takes the matter to the Supreme Court.