In the criminal case of former President Donald Trump, U.S. Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart has issued restrictions that his legal team must adhere to when handling discovery materials from the Department of Justice (DOJ).
On Tuesday (June 13), Trump was arraigned after being indicted earlier in the month.
The former President is currently facing 37 charges, including willful retention of classified documents and obstruction, in connection with the DOJ’s investigation into his handling of classified documents after leaving office.
Trump is the first former President in United States history to face federal charges.
Trump has been indicted for mishandling sensitive presidential records and obstructing government efforts to retrieve them. Trump denies these accusations and believes that he is being investigated for political reasons.
Reinhart, the judge who approved the FBI raid on Trump’s Mar-a-Lago property in August, issued a series of rulings on Monday (June 19) that limit Trump’s access to discovery material documents. Trump can only view them under the supervision of his counsel and is allowed to take notes, but his legal team must securely store those notes.
The ruling also bars Trump from keeping any discovery materials and prohibits him from sharing any information related to these materials on social media platforms like Truth Social.
“The Discovery Materials, along with any information derived therefrom, shall not be disclosed to the public or the news media,” the order reads, nor can that information be “disseminated on any news or social media platform” without the Court’s prior notice to and consent.
