Topline
Justice Department prosecutors warned nan judge overseeing nan proceedings complete erstwhile President Donald Trump’s handling of White House documents that nan erstwhile president is trying to “manipulate” her into delaying his planned May 2024 trial, arsenic Trump’s attorneys conflict to push backmost looming tests successful that lawsuit and his national lawsuit complete nan 2020 election.
Special Counsel Jack Smith, who's overseeing nan 2 national criminal cases against Donald Trump, ... [+] delivers remarks connected August 1 successful Washington, DC.
Getty ImagesKey Facts
U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, nan Trump-appointed judge overseeing his documents case, is weighing whether to push backmost nan trial, now group to statesman connected May 20, 2024, aft Trump asked her to—and suggested during a proceeding connected Wednesday that she’s apt to springiness into his request.
Trump’s attorneys revenge a request precocious Wednesday asking U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan, who’s overseeing his criminal lawsuit complete trying to overturn nan 2020 election, to besides hold proceedings successful that case, requesting she region nan lawsuit from moving guardant until his mobility to disregard nan charges—which argues he has statesmanlike “immunity”—is resolved.
In a filing Thursday morning, nan DOJ shared Trump’s predetermination lawsuit petition pinch Cannon, noting Trump’s attorneys asked to region nan predetermination case—and frankincense hold that trial, now group for March 2024—hours aft telling Cannon that nan documents proceedings should beryllium postponed because it would conflict pinch nan predetermination trial.
Trump’s attorneys’ alleged disingenuousness successful utilizing nan predetermination proceedings to hold nan documents trial—when they were astatine nan aforesaid clip trying to push backmost nan predetermination case—illustrates nan DOJ’s statement that Cannon should not guidelines her proceedings day connected nan predetermination case, prosecutors argued.
It besides “confirm[s] [Trump’s] overriding liking successful delaying some tests astatine immoderate cost,” prosecutors wrote, asking nan tribunal not to “allow itself to beryllium manipulated successful this fashion.”
Delaying nan national tests until aft nan 2024 election, arsenic Trump has tried to do, could activity successful his use should he triumph backmost nan presidency, arsenic he could past effort to person nan charges against him dropped earlier nan cases went to trial.
What To Watch For
It’s unclear erstwhile Cannon could norm connected whether to hold Trump’s trial, though she said astatine Wednesday’s ruling she planned to do truthful “as soon arsenic possible.” Trump has asked nan judge to hold nan lawsuit until aft nan 2024 election, though it’s unclear if she’d spell that far, saying Wednesday she was unfastened to making “reasonable adjustments” to nan schedule, peculiarly fixed nan March 2024 commencement day successful nan predetermination trial. It’s besides unclear erstwhile Chutkan could norm connected Trump’s petition to region proceedings successful nan predetermination case, aliases erstwhile his motion to disregard nan charges against him could beryllium decided. Trump’s lawyers noted successful their mobility to disregard nan lawsuit that nan Supreme Court hasn’t antecedently weighed successful connected whether presidents are immune from criminal charges, and it’s expected nan ineligible tussle complete whether nan lawsuit tin beryllium thrown retired could make it up to nan precocious court.
Big Number
40. That’s really galore national felony charges Trump faces successful nan documents case, including for nan willful retention of nationalist defense information, obstruction, withholding and concealing documents and making mendacious statements. He faces a maximum mixed condemnation of 450 years successful prison if he were convicted connected each complaint and fixed nan maximum sentence—though that’s unlikely—as good arsenic up to $10 million successful fines. The DOJ charged Trump successful nan documents lawsuit pursuing a lengthy investigation, alleging he unlawfully retained classified White House documents astatine his Mar-A-Lago property and obstructed nan government’s investigation by refusing to comply pinch a lawsuit for each remaining classified documents successful his possession and concealing documents to extremity them from being turned over.
Key Background
The national predetermination and documents cases against Trump are 2 of 4 criminal cases against nan erstwhile president, on pinch cases successful authorities courts successful New York and Georgia. Legal experts person been highly skeptical of Judge Cannon aft she sided pinch Trump earlier nan criminal charges against him were moreover filed, appointing a third-party typical maestro who oversaw a reappraisal of nan documents DOJ investigators seized astatine Mar-A-Lago successful a widely criticized ruling. Though she hasn’t ever sided pinch nan ex-president successful nan ineligible proceedings, not giving into his first petition to hold nan lawsuit until aft nan election, she issued a ruling earlier nan proceeding Wednesday against national prosecutors that gave Trump’s co-defendants successful nan documents lawsuit broader entree to classified materials, which ineligible experts criticized. Chutkan, meanwhile, has been harsher against nan erstwhile president, who unsuccessfully tried to person her removed from nan lawsuit owed to purported bias against him. The Obama-appointed judge besides imposed a gag order connected Trump based connected his comments lashing retired against prosecutors and imaginable witnesses successful nan case, which she reaffirmed Sunday nighttime aft Trump appealed it.
Further Reading
Judge Could Delay Trump’s Classified Documents Trial, Reports Say (Forbes)
Trump Tries To Delay Documents Trial Until After 2024 Election (Forbes)
What Crimes Was Trump Charged With In Federal Documents Case? Here’s What To Know As DOJ Brings New Charges (Forbes)
Trump Classified Documents Trial Date Set For May–In Middle Of Campaign (Forbes)
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