Boston City Councilor Chuck Turner on Tuesday protested a gag order requested by his prosecution and reiterated his claim that the U.S. Attorney's office has tried its case in the media.

On Monday, assistant U.S. Attorney John McNeil filed a motion  for a gag order that would prevent Turner from discussing evidence against him with the media. Those public statements, McNeil reasoned, could influence witnesses.

In a statement late Tuesday, Turner's campaign said that the prosecution has been inappropriately leaking its information to the media, citing undercover photos of Turner allegedly accepting a bribe that were released.

"Councilor Turner believes that by signing the protective (gag) order, he would be giving the opportunity to U.S. Attorney's Office to continue to leak alleged evidence to the press without any threat or challenge," the statement said. "The government has already violated their ‘protective order' by indiscriminately releasing information as it sees fit. Councilor Turner believes neither he nor the court should aid U.S. Attorney Sullivan's attempt to subvert his legal responsibilities."

A spokeswoman for Sullivan did not immediately return a call for comment. Previously, the U.S. Attorney's office has declined to comment on Turner's statements.

Turner's statement also said that Turner would not comment directly on the gag order, but said that his legal team "is now working on an opposition" to it.

Sullivan's release of the undercover photos, the statement reads, "is proof...that the U.S. Attorney's strategy is to have the media find him guilty in the court of public opinion, thus creating the presumption of guilt in the minds of jurors and even potential witnesses."