"Judge grants permission to discuss New York fraud case, ending Trump's restriction"

The gag order that prevented former President Donald Trump from criticizing court officials in his New York fraud trial has been temporarily lifted by a judge. Trump had sued the judge overseeing his civil case, Arthur Engoron, after being barred from discussing judicial staff along with his attorneys. Trump's lawyers argued that the gag order was unconstitutional. An appeals court granted Trump's request for a temporary stay, allowing him to make public comments about Judge Engoron's staff once again. Trump's lawyer, Christopher Kise, welcomed the ruling, stating that it would enable his client to exercise his First Amendment rights to talk about bias in his trial. The civil trial, filed by New York Attorney General Letitia James against Trump, his sons, the Trump Organization, and its executives for alleged business fraud, is ongoing. The judge, Engoron, had imposed a limited gag order on Trump after he attacked the judge's clerk on social media. Trump has been fined $15,000 for two violations of the order. In a separate criminal case in Washington DC, Trump's gag order has also been lifted, which focuses on his alleged efforts to subvert the 2020 election results.