Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.) is behind a new bill aimed at preventing judges from imposing gag orders on defendants in civil and criminal cases.
The “Let Trump Speak Act,” the bill was proposed by the Tennessee lawmaker as a response to former President Trump being slapped with a gag order in his hush money trial in New York.
On Monday, Ogles told Fox Business’s Maria Bartiromo that the bill targets gag orders “that are clearly politically motivated.”
The legislation would also introduce a right of action, which Ogles claims would allow defendants to sue “because his rights are being violated.”
The Republican congressman, who was present at Trump’s trial last week, blasted Democrat Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and his prosecutorial team for pursuing a trial that “is nothing more than a political witch hunt.”
“And so enough is enough,” he continued. “Trump should be acquitted. He should be back on the campaign trail and that’s it. They’re trying to keep Trump off of the campaign trail and keeping him tied up in court.”
Trump has slammed the gag order as an infringement on his First Amendment rights, and argued that it restricts him from addressing political attacks made by witnesses.
Last week, Trump petitioned New York’s Court of Appeals overturn the gag order after a lower court kept it in place.
Trump has violated his gag order 10 times since it was instituted, resulting in a $1,000 fine per infraction and a warning that jail time could be on the table in the future.
Bragg and his prosecutorial team concluded their six-week long case against former Trump on Monday afternoon.
The defense may still call additional witnesses or have Trump testify. If they also rest, the trial will proceed to closing arguments and then to jury deliberations.
The prosecution’s case didn’t end on a high note, Trump’s defense team got Michael Cohen to confess that he stole money from the Trump Organization.
Cohen revealed that he billed the former president $100,000 as a reimbursement for hiring a tech firm to improve Trump’s poll ratings, but only paid the firm about $20,000 out of the $50,000 owed.
Cohen explained that he took the money because he was “very upset” after his annual bonus was reduced following his use of $130,000 of his own funds to pay adult film actress Stormy Daniels.
“I was angry because of the reduction in the bonus, and, so, I felt it was almost like self-help,” Cohen explained.
The defense also managed to make Cohen question the validity of his claim that the call he allegedly had with Trump to confirm the payment to Daniels was actually on October 26, 2017, after they produced a call records that disputed his recollection.
