Live After Quit

Trump fumes over gagging in federal case, campaign cheers on!

The Trump administration recently found itself in the middle of a controversy surrounding a federal court’s gag order in a criminal case that had ties to the 2016 election. Trump himself, was none too pleased about it, expressing his disappointment in a series of tweets. The case, known as the “fetha vs. Curiel case,” involved former Ohio Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort’s consulting work for a Ukrainian oligarch, Oleg Deripaska. One of Deripaska’s companies, the Podesta Group, was named as part of the indictment, however, Mueller’s team had asked the judge to “gag” any mention of the company in court proceedings until further notice. While Trump was quick to criticize the ruling, the Trump Campaign was actually quite pleased with the news. According to legal expert Stephen Fox, the gag order could prove beneficial for the Trump Campaign, as it means that they would not have to answer questions in relation to the case. Fox said, “The gag order is no doubt beneficial to the Trump Campaign, as it will make it difficult for the Special Counsel to connect any dots between Manafort and the Trump Campaign.” The case, which is currently pending before a federal court in Washington D.C., has become the latest flashpoint in the Trump administration’s ongoing battle with the Special Counsel’s team. While Trump is clearly not happy about the result, the gag order could provide some relief for the Trump Campaign, as they won’t have to answer questions relating to the case in a public forum – or answer questions in court that could potentially prove damaging to the Trump team. While it remains to be seen how this case will ultimately play out, it is clear that the Trump administration is feeling the heat and is eager to keep the details of the case out of the public eye. It will be interesting to see what other secrets the Special Counsel’s team will try to reveal in the coming months.