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Donald Trump's legal team is bringing on a new attorney to help fight a recent gag order imposed on the former president by Judge Tanya Chutkan.
Trump, who is running in the 2024 Republican presidential primary election, is fighting several legal battles and will face criminal trials starting next year. On Thursday, The Kansas City Star reported that former Assistant U.S. Attorney Will Scharf will join the former president's legal team on the federal case surrounding his role in the January 6, 2021, riot at the United States Capitol building when a group of his supporters violently protested the 2020 presidential election results.
A federal grand jury in August indicted Trump on four counts, including conspiracy to defraud the United States, in the January 6 case. Department of Justice (DOJ) special counsel Jack Smith has investigated Trump's alleged efforts to overturn the election results, including alleged attempts to submit false slates of pro-Trump electors from swing states he lost to the Electoral College. Trump, however, maintains his innocence, accusing prosecutors of targeting him for political purposes.
Chutkan, who is overseeing the case, announced this week that she would put in place a "narrowly tailored" gag order against Trump at the request of prosecutors, who had raised concerns about his comments about prosecutors. The gag order bans Trump from making public statements targeting Smith, his staff, as well as court staff and personnel in his case.
The limited nature of the gag order means that Trump can still discuss the case, but may not attack the individuals involved.
Trump has pledged to appeal the order, arguing that it stifles his ability to communicate about the case amid his presidential campaign. His legal team has also said the gag order violates his First Amendment rights.
Newsweek reached out to the Trump campaign for comment via email.
Legal experts have said Trump's legal team will have difficulty challenging the order. Barbara McQuade, a former U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan, previously told Newsweek that the order was "on solid ground."
"Because the order is narrowly tailored to achieve a compelling government interest in the fair administration of justice, it should pass constitutional muster," she said.
Who Is Will Scharf? Trump Legal Team's Latest Addition
In addition to serving on Trump's legal team, Scharf is also running for attorney general in Missouri, challenging incumbent Attorney General Andrew Bailey, who was appointed to the position by Governor Mike Parson.
Scharf has sought to portray himself as the "true" conservative in the race, running to Bailey's right, according to a report from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Scharf previously served as former Missouri Governor Eric Greitens' policy director, according to the Post-Dispatch.
About the writer
Andrew Stanton is a Newsweek weekend reporter based in Maine. His role is reporting on U.S. politics and social issues. ... Read more