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Trump loses appeal of gag order in hush money criminal case

A New York state appeals court on Thursday turned down

Donald Trump's

challenge to a gag order in his hush money criminal case, where the former U.S. president was convicted in May on charges coming from hush cash paid to a porn star.

The decision by the Appellate Department in Manhattan suggests Trump, the Republican governmental candidate in the

Nov. 5 election

, can not comment publicly about specific prosecutors and others in the case till Justice Juan Merchan sentences him on Sept. 18.

Trump's attorneys did not right away respond to a demand for comment. They have actually argued that the gag order broke his constitutional free speech rights under the First Amendment.

Merchan imposed the gag order a few weeks before the trial began on April 22, stating Trump's history of threatening statements might derail the proceedings.

The order initially prevented Trump from discussing prosecutors and court staff, witnesses and jurors.

Merchan

lifted the constraints

on witnesses and jurors in June, after the trial ended.

The appeals court had upheld Merchan's original gag order in May, citing the need to secure individuals from dangers,. intimidation, harassment, and harm, and turning down Trump's First. Modification argument.

Jurors on May 30 found Trump guilty of falsifying. business records to conceal previous personal attorney and fixer. Michael Cohen's $130,000 payments to adult movie actress Stormy. Daniels.

The payments were made in exchange for her silence. before the 2016 election about a sexual encounter she says she. had with Trump a decade earlier, which Trump denied.

Trump beat Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016 to win. the presidency. He has pledged to appeal his conviction after he. is sentenced.

(source: Reuters)