Former President Donald Trump was back in court Friday morning, this time in South Florida, where his lawyers are asking that his trial on federal criminal charges of illegally storing national security documents be held after the 2024 election.
President Trump, 77, was greeted by a crowd of supporters outside the Fort Pierce courthouse around 9:30 a.m., 30 minutes before his hearing before U.S. District Judge Eileen Cannon. A federal district judge will decide whether to accept the proposed trial schedule submitted by the former. The President’s Counsel and Special Counsel Jack Smith.
Thursday, Smith filed a motion Trump’s attorneys Todd Blanche and Christopher Kiss have requested that the trial begin on July 8. subsequent submission The case is scheduled to begin on August 12th.
Blanche and Kise said Smith’s trial date for their client, the current 2024 Republican front-runner, is due to a Justice Department law that prohibits special counsel from taking “any action that could affect an election.” wrote that it violates the policy of
They cite a 2018 report from the Justice Department’s Office of Inspector General that cited “general principles to avoid interference in elections,” a code that was adopted during Hillary Clinton’s 2016 campaign. There was a lot of discussion.
The lawyers added that after the 2020 election, Special Counsel JP Cooney also “sought to forestall an effective investigation into election fraud” due to a “long-standing policy of election non-interference.” .
Blanche and Kise said the July 8 trial date would be “fast-tracked” because the former president faces other criminal cases and could be disqualified from voting in several states. They argued that a “fair trial” could not actually be held until after the 2024 vote.
In June 2023, Smith indicted President Trump and his acolyte Walt Nauta on charges of conspiring to store classified materials at the former president’s Mar-a-Lago mansion after leaving office, and subsequently conducted an investigation. He was charged with lying to his own attorney and federal authorities.
The following month, a special prosecutor indicted Carlos de Oliveira, a resort manager in Palm Beach, Florida, for attempting to delete security camera footage of Nauta and boxes of confidential documents being moved into a storage room. did.
Trump’s lawyers also asked Cannon to hear a motion to dismiss the case entirely on the grounds of executive privilege. This is a defense the former president used in his 2020 election interference lawsuit in Washington, D.C.
On Wednesday, Trump won a victory at the Supreme Court. announced An appeal on these grounds is expected to be followed by oral arguments in April, further delaying Smith’s push to try the former president in Washington, D.C.
“The judge’s anticipated ruling will guide His Highness in evaluating President Trump’s motion to dismiss the lawsuit on the basis of executive privilege,” Blanche and Kise wrote in their filing. This was stated in a letter addressed to Mr.
“President Trump respectfully submits that all of these considerations are pertinent as the court considers the proposed schedule for the remainder of this unlawful proceeding.”
Friday’s hearing for Cannon will also address issues related to jury selection, disclosure or non-disclosure of confidential material as evidence, and witness protection efforts.
President Trump announced last year that District Attorney Alvin Bragg indicted the former president on business fraud charges for allegedly paying “hush money” through a legal fixer to keep an adult film star quiet for 10 years. He will now go to trial in Manhattan on March 25th. The incident occurred before the 2016 election.
Meanwhile, the status of Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’ lawsuit against Trump and 18 co-defendants for allegedly meddling in Georgia’s 2020 election will be updated Friday afternoon as Atlanta prosecutors hold a disqualification hearing. , remains up in the air.
