Far-Left American Civil Liberties Union Argues President Trump’s Jan. 6 Case Gag Order is Unlawful
Shane Trejo
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The far-left American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is coming to the defense of President Trump, decrying the overreach that has come as a result of the overreaching probe meant to derail his re-election chances.
The ACLU issued an appeal to U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan arguing that her gag order, served at the behest of special counsel Jack Smith, is a violation of Trump’s 1st Amendment rights.
“Former President, and now Defendant, Donald Trump has said many things,” the ACLU and its D.C. chapter stated in a court filing. “Much that he has said has been patently false and has caused great harm to countless individuals, as well as to the Republic itself. Some of his words and actions have led him to this criminal indictment, which alleges grave wrongdoing in contempt of the peaceful transition of power.”
“But Trump retains a First Amendment right to speak, and the rest of us retain a right to hear what he has to say,” the brief added.
The ACLU noted that the gag order was open ended and designed to hamper President Trump’s ability to speak freely.
“The entire order hinges on the meaning of the word ‘target,’” the ACLU wrote in its brief. “But that meaning is ambiguous, and fails to provide the fair warning that the Constitution demands, especially when, as here, it concerns a prior restraint on speech.”
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