The judge who authorized the federal raid on Mar-a-Lago has handed down an order prohibiting Donald Trump from disclosing information to the press and public.
“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,” ruled U.S. Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart, a donor to Barack Obama and Jeb Bush who once represented employees of Jeffrey Epstein.
The order, which also applies to Trump’s former valet and co-defendant Walt Nauta, was requested by Special Counsel Jack Smith, who is prosecuting the pair over the alleged mishandling of official documents.
It follows months of leaking from the Department of Justice (DOJ) to the press. CNN, for example, had recordings of Trump used in the indictment described to them by “multiple sources,” and was later sent a full transcript – all before the charges were made public.
Jack Smith’s most prominent communications staffer is Peter Carr, who previously served as ex-FBI director Robert Mueller’s during the Russiagate investigation.
