Man behind claim that led to Trump’s gag order is a convicted criminal and alleged stalker

When former President Donald Trump posted a baseless claim to his Truth Social account about the law clerk for the New York judge overseeing his civil fraud trial, he became the first former US president to be put under a gag order. The originator of that claim is a man currently facing 130 counts relating to predatory behavior.

According to a report in The Messenger, Wisconsin resident Brock Fredin is behind the X (formerly Twitter) account that posted a photo of law clerk Allison Greenfield in late September, accusing her of "palling around" with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-New York). In that post, Fredin tagged both of Trump's adult sons, as well as far-right influencers Rogan O'Handley and Jack Posobiec. That post also linked to Greenfield's personal Instagram account.

Less than a week later, Trump posted a screenshot of Fredin's tweet to his Truth Social account — which is followed by more than six million people — and falsely referred to Greenfield as Schumer's "girlfriend." This led to Judge Arthur Engoron slapping Trump with a gag order preventing him from attacking his staff (that gag order was appealed, paused and eventually reinstated by a New York appeals court judge). In a brief before the Minnesota Supreme Court, Fredin referred to Trump's posting of his screenshot as an "endorsement."

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Fredin's attack on Greenfield and publishing of her Instagram account is apparently part and parcel of Fredin's behavior toward both legal staff in the various cases against him and women in general. The Messenger reported that Fredin was convicted twice of violating restraining orders in Minnesota, and was incarcerated for those convictions between October of 2018 and June of 2019. A separate conviction for stalking was overturned on appeal after a change in Minnesota criminal code.

Three women who filed restraining orders against Fredin allege he made threatening and harassing websites in their names, interfered in their professional circles and filed formal complaints against them. Additionally, women Fredin met on dating sites in 2014 and 2015 reportedly "called things off" after receiving "unsettling" messages from him.

In addition to the three women who filed restraining orders against him, Fredin has also harassed law clerks working for the various judges who ruled against him in similar ways. In September of 2020, Fredin essentially admitted to this pattern of behavior, writing in an appellate court filing in 2020 that "each clerk is going to get reported to the Professional Responsibility Board and websites are going up exposing you for your failure to protect." He also told court staff that they would suffer a "Billy Goat curse" or "curse of the Bambino" for "the next three hundred (300) years" for their handling of his case.

A federal judge previously ruled that Fredin created "dozens" of "inflammatory, baseless, demeaning, and disturbing" websites and videos, and issued an order compelling Fredin to take down 25 of his "vicious" websites and videos targeting the women, their attorneys or the court itself. In October, he was arrested in Hudson, Wisconsin, and faces 130 counts of violating a restraining order and stalking.

READ MORE: 'Significant and imminent threat': Trump gag order largely upheld by appeals court