U.S. prosecutors referred a threatening post written by former President Donald Trump on the platform "Truth Social" to the courts late Friday night, stating that it suggests the possibility of intimidating witnesses by improperly revealing confidential evidence obtained from authorities. Trump wrote: "If you pursue me, I will pursue you," just one day after pleading not guilty to charges that he orchestrated a criminal conspiracy to alter the outcome of the 2020 presidential election, which resulted in his defeat to Democrat Joe Biden.
The office of special counsel Jack Smith, in the lawsuit filed in a federal court in Washington, indicated that Trump's post raised concerns that he might publicly disclose secret materials, such as grand jury transcripts obtained from prosecutors. The lawsuit seeks to issue a protective order preventing Trump and his attorneys from revealing any confidential materials in a process known as discovery to unauthorized individuals.
As part of the discovery process, prosecutors are required to provide defendants with evidence against them so they can prepare their defenses. Prosecutors wrote: "This could have a harmful negative impact on witnesses or negatively affect the fairness of justice in this case," noting that Trump has a history of attacking judges, attorneys general, and witnesses in other cases against him.
A spokesperson for Trump issued a statement defending the former president's post. Trump asserts that all the investigations against him are part of a political witch hunt aimed at hindering his campaign for the 2024 elections.
