Appeals court won't hear Trump's request to lift limited gag order in hush money case

Former President Donald Trump has all but exhausted his efforts to eliminate the limited gag order in his criminal hush money case, after New York's highest court on Thursday declined to consider his request to lift the order.

"Appeal dismissed without costs, by the Court sua sponte, upon the ground that no substantial constitutional question is directly involved," New York's Court of Appeals said in a brief order.

In a separate ruling Thursday, the U.S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals denied Trump's request to delay the case after a federal judge earlier this month rejected Trump's effort to move the case from state court to federal court.

The Second Circuit declined to pause the case further because the case has already been delayed until Nov. 26, when Trump is scheduled to be sentenced.

"In light of the state court's adjournment of sentencing until November 26, 2024, it is hereby ORDERED that the motion for an emergency administrative stay is DENIED," the order from the Second Circuit said.

In his quest to lift his partial gag order, Trump had been seeking the freedom to publicly criticize anyone associated with the case.

In April, Judge Juan Merchan barred Trump from making public statements about jurors, court staff, and relatives of those involved in the case, after Trump repeatedly targeted Merchan's daughter on social media.

Trump was found guilty in May on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records related to a hush money payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels in order to boost his electoral prospects in the 2016 presidential election. He has said he will appeal the decision.

Once the trial concluded, Judge Merchan relaxed the part of the gag order that prevented Trump from targeting members of the jury and witnesses in the case.

Mercand last week agreed to Trump's request to delay sentencing in the case until after the presidential election.