Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey has initiated legal action against New York, claiming that the state’s prosecution of former President Donald Trump has violated the constitutional rights of Missouri residents. Bailey argues that the legal actions and gag orders against Trump have hindered his ability to campaign for the 2024 election, thereby infringing on Missourians’ First Amendment rights to hear him speak.
The lawsuit petitions the Supreme Court to declare that New York’s prosecution unlawfully interfered with the presidential election. Bailey also seeks to delay Trump’s sentencing until after the election and to lift the gag orders imposed on him.
This lawsuit comes after Trump was found guilty by a New York jury of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. Following the conviction, there have been calls from Trump’s supporters for Republican state attorneys general to take legal action in response.
Bailey contends that the prosecution was politically motivated to tarnish Trump’s image before the November election. He asserts that the statute of limitations for the charges expired in 2019 and that the New York District Attorney did not establish an “intent to commit another crime.”
“We need to push back against a rogue prosecutor attempting to remove a presidential candidate from the campaign trail,” Bailey said in a post on X. “This undermines Missourians’ right to a free and fair election. Stay tuned.”