Trump May Face Gag Order for His Attack on Ex-Senate Staff Charged with Lying to the FBI

Cody Fenwick
and
 AlterNet
June 19, 2018

President Donald Trump may soon have reason to regret his habit of speaking off the cuff on matters he knows little about.

James Wolfe, a former Senate staffer who has been charged with lying to the FBI, filed a motion Tuesday to block Trump and Justice Department officials from speaking about his case. Trump's recent comments to reporters, Wofle believes, have already served to bias opinion against Wolfe.

"[Highly] prejudicial public comments already made by President Donald J. Trump and senior Justice Department officials have threatened Mr. Wolfe’s right to a fair trial under the Sixth Amendment, and must be prevented in the future," Wolfe's lawyers wrote.

Trump called Wolfe a "very important leaker" and said his arrest "could be a terrific thing" after the charges were brought.

However, Wolfe has not been charged with leaking, only with lying to the FBI. 

Trump's loose-lipped statements have come back to haunt him in other legal cases. For example, his comments about a "Muslim ban" during the campaign have dogged his legal defense of the travel ban launched in the early days of his presidency.

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