In a recent filing with the appeals court on Monday, the legal team representing the former President, Donald Trump, argued that numerous threats made against Judge Arthur Engoron and his law clerk do not warrant keeping a gag order in place in the New York financial fraud trial involving Trump, his adult sons, and their family business. The filing emphasizes that despite the 91 felony charges Trump currently faces, there could be additional charges pending as a result of ongoing state investigations into the fake elector scheme aiming to maintain Trump’s power. This is the most recent legal development in the criminal and civil cases involving Trump’s quest to become the next president.
**New York Financial Fraud**
*Trump lawyers: Threats to judge and his clerk don’t justify gag order*
**Key individuals**: Judge Arthur Engoron, clerk [Allison Greenfield](https://yahoo.com/news/judge-ny-fraud-trial-threatens-162431572.html), New York Attorney General [Letitia James](https://finance.yahoo.com/video/ny-attorney-general-james-no-145442354.html)
– Lawyers for Trump contested the necessity of the gag order due to threats against Engoron and Greenfield, asserting that it violates Trump’s First Amendment rights.
– Engoron’s gag order, temporarily paused by the appeals court, aimed to prevent Trump from attacking the judge’s staff.
– Engoron and Greenfield received numerous threats, leading to concerns about their safety.
– Trump’s criticism of Engoron and Greenfield has been described as intimidating by James, while Trump’s lawyers argue that the gag order infringes upon his First Amendment rights.
**Jan. 6 Election Interference**
*More states could file charges stemming from ‘fake elector’ plot to keep Trump in power*
**Key individuals**: Pro-Trump lawyers John Eastman, Kenneth Chesebro, Jenna Ellis, and Sidney Powell, former Georgia GOP chair David Shafer, Georgia state Sen. Shawn Still, Georgia GOP official Kathleen Latham, Georgia bail bondsman Scott Hall
– State attorneys general in four states are evaluating the potential for charges linked to the “fake elector” plot to maintain Trump in power after the 2020 election.
– Arizona, Nevada, Michigan, and Pennsylvania officials are considering charging more individuals as part of the efforts to certify an alternate slate of electors proposed by Eastman to obstruct Joe Biden’s victory.
– Eastman, Shafer, Still, and Latham face felony charges in Georgia due to their involvement in these efforts, with Chesebro having pleaded guilty and potentially facing charges in other states, along with Ellis, Powell, and Hall.
– In Michigan, 16 individuals posing as “duly elected and qualified electors” are already facing charges.
The impact of these developments is significant as Trump, along with his allies, sought to overturn his 2020 losses in key swing states through meetings with state officials. Trump currently faces 91 felonies, a figure that may increase as the 2024 Republican primary approaches. For further reading, click [here](https://www.yahoo.com/news/scott-hall-pleads-guilty-trumps-141613119.html).
