Republican judges lift court order banning Trump campaign from intimidating voters

The order was designed to stop intimidation of minority voters (AP)

Two days after a judge passed down an order designed to stop Donald Trump’s supporters from seeking to intimidate minority voters, a higher court made up of Republican jurists lifted the restriction.

On Friday, a federal judge in Ohio issued a temporary restraining order Friday against the Donald Trump campaign, his former adviser Roger Stone and Mr Stone's political action committee from “conspiring to intimidate, threaten, harass, or coerce voters on Election Day”.

According to the order issued by US District Judge James Gwin, anyone who engaged in intimidation or harassment inside or near Ohio polling places, regardless of political alliance, would face contempt of court charges.

US media said the order stemmed from a lawsuit filed by the Ohio Democratic Party, which claimed the Ohio Republican Party, the Trump campaign and Mr Stone’s Stop the Seal group were violating the Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871 by conspiring to keep minority voters from the polls.

USA Today said that as evidence, the Ohio Democrats pointed to comments from the Republican nominee, such as those he made in Pennsylvania at the beginning of October encouraging his supporters to watch the polls in “certain areas”.

“You've got to go out, and you've got to get your friends, and you’ve got to get everybody you know, and you gotta watch the polling booths,” Mr Trump said.

“I hear too many bad stories, and we can't lose an election because of you know what I'm talking about.”

Politico said that on Sunday, a three-judge panel of the Cincinnati-based 6th Circuit Court of Appeals issued a brief order halting the effect of the injunction.

“We conclude that the Plaintiff did not demonstrate before the district court a likelihood of success on the merits, and that all of the requisite factors weigh in favor of granting the stay,” the 6th Circuit panel wrote.