Judge Tanya Chutkan, at the request of Special Counsel Jack Smith, canceled all deadlines and ongoing proceedings in the Biden-Harris Department of Justice's (DOJ) election interference lawsuit against President-elect Donald Trump.
Mr. Smith's concession is a notable and symbolic moment for Mr. Trump, who has faced multiple lawsuits in his bid to return to the White House.
Trump's victory over Vice President Kamala Harris effectively ended Smith's hopes of convicting the former president. Justice Department policy generally prohibits prosecuting a sitting president, and Smith's case was set to drag until 2025 after hitting multiple hurdles.
Mr Smith's application to the court acknowledged it was inevitable.
As a result of the election, Mr. Smith said, “to give the government time to assess this unprecedented situation and determine the appropriate path forward in line with Department of Justice policy, we have asked the court to complete the remainder of the pretrial schedule.'' We respectfully request that you extend the deadline.”
“Unprecedented circumstances” may also apply to Smith's prosecution of Trump, with Trump claiming that Smith's prosecution was part of a politically motivated plot to prevent Trump from returning to the White House. are.
If true, the effort would have been a complete failure.
Smith's Florida charges against Trump for possessing classified documents were dropped after a judge ruled that Attorney General Garland's appointment of Smith was unconstitutional.
The ruling could ultimately halt Mr. Smith's D.C. lawsuit as well, but that point is currently moot.
Mr. Smith directed Mr. Chutkan to “submit a status report or otherwise notify the court of the outcome of his deliberations” by December 2, 2024, but prosecutors have no plans to succeed. There is no way.
For Smith, who has emerged as the face of Trump's legal opposition, the absolute failure to prosecute Trump could present further challenges.
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan and Executive Oversight Subcommittee Chairman Barry Loudermilk sent a letter to Smith on Friday instructing him to preserve the records.
Bradley Jay is Breitbart News' Capitol Hill correspondent. Follow him on X/Twitter. @BradleyAJay.
