U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.) introduced a bill Thursday that would block judges from issuing “weaponized gag orders.” fox news digital report.
The bill, dubbed the “Let Trump Talk Act,” would prohibit federal and state judges from imposing gag orders against defendants in “any criminal or civil proceeding.” The law creates an exception, allowing a judge to issue an order preventing the disclosure of “confidential information provided during discovery, to protect the privacy of a minor, or as part of a plea agreement.” There is.
If passed, the bill would allow anyone who has been issued a gag order in violation of the law to seek injunctive relief.
“There is no right more sacred to Americans than the right to speak freely.”
Ogles announced the bill in response to a gag order issued against former President Donald Trump by New York State Supreme Court Associate Justice Juan Marchan. The restraining order prevents President Trump from speaking about anyone involved in an ongoing criminal case in New York. In this criminal case, President Trump is charged with 34 felonies for falsifying business records.
Michael Cohen, a convicted felon and Trump’s former lawyer, has claimed that he paid so-called hush money to porn actress Stormy Daniels to keep her quiet about an alleged affair with Trump. Mr. Cohen claimed that the settlement was paid at Mr. Trump’s request, and that Mr. Trump later repaid him. President Trump has pleaded not guilty to all charges and denied allegations of his extramarital affair.
Trump’s lawyers have repeatedly asked Marchand to lift the gag order, but each request has been denied.
Ogles, along with several other Republicans. joined Trump in court He announced his support for the former president on Thursday.
“If I start a conversation with the words, ‘A convicted felon and a prostitute walk into a bar,’ they immediately realize it’s a joke,” Ogles told reporters outside the courthouse. You see. Well, that’s what we know here. It’s a court joke.” . ”
“This is not a prosecution,” Ogles continued. “This is persecution. We have a dual justice system in this country. And if a former president can be targeted by woke corrupt judges, you can be targeted as well. There is.”
In a post on X, Ogles said the Trump Speech Act “repeals gag orders and pushes back on woke activist judges.”
“For years, I watched as a politically weaponized Justice Department and Democratic activist judges went after President Donald J. Trump,” he told Fox News Digital. “There is no right more sacred to Americans than the right to speak freely, guaranteed by the First Amendment.”
“Activists within the justice system are seeking to strip President Trump of this right for their own political purposes,” Ogles argued.
The bill proposed by the Tennessee congressman currently has 10 Republican sponsors in the House.
“This continued weaponization of justice and harassment of President Trump must end,” said Rep. Bob Good (R-Va.).
“We have seen our institutions corner President Trump and try to force his silence,” said Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.).
“This important American value must not be undermined, especially by those driven by political polarization,” she added.
The New York State Supreme Court, First Appellate Division, said in a letter Tuesday that Marchan “appropriately considered” President Trump’s First Amendment rights when imposing the gag order.
Do you like Blaze News? Avoid censorship and sign up for our newsletter to get articles like this delivered straight to your inbox. Please register here!
