Key aspects of Trump gag order upheld by federal appeals court
The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit upheld key aspects of a gag order imposed by President Donald Trump on his former national security advisor Michael Flynn. As upheld by the court, the Justice Department’s revised gag order prevents Flynn from publicly discussing or providing documents pertaining to his time in the administration, his contacts with Russian government representatives, and communications with former FBI personnel. The court also rejected the argument that Flynn’s testimony was protected by attorney-client privilege. The ruling essentially ensures that Flynn remains muzzled by the gag order until he serves his sentence for making false statements to the FBI regarding his conversations with a Russian ambassador. This ruling may also serve as a precedent for future gag orders issued by the President.