WASHINGTON – A date has yet to be set for a federal trial over former President Donald Trump’s plan to overturn his 2020 presidential bid.unsupported, objectively unreasonable, and constantly changing“allegations of massive voter fraud.
U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan held a status hearing in the case in a federal courtroom in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, nine days after a new federal grand jury. returned the superseding indictment Against Trump charging him with the same four felonies he first faced The original indictment last August: Conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to obstruct official proceedings, obstruction and attempted obstruction of official proceedings, and conspiracy against rights.
Chutkan admitted that the case did not move quickly because of Trump’s appeal to the Supreme Court. It ruled that Trump had some presidential immunity and sent the matter back to the lower court.
Chutkan said Thursday that he would not let the 2024 election determine the timing of the case, and Trump attorney John Lauro argued that the November election should affect the pretrial briefing schedule.
“I’m surprised that what you’re trying to do is influence the presentation of evidence in this case so as not to influence the presidential election,” Chutkan said.
“I understand that the election is pending,” he said. “This court is not concerned with the election schedule. … That’s not something I’m going to review.”
Noting that the case has been “under review for a year”, Chutkan said that the court “can’t even think about the court date” for the appeals.
“We’re hardly at the finish line here,” Chutkan said, adding that setting a trial date at this point would be an “exercise in futility” given the appellate issues.
Chutkan said that he will consider all arguments before announcing the timetable for the case.
On Thursday, Chutkan pleaded not guilty to Trump in a superseding indictment that Lauro filed on Trump’s behalf after the former president signed documents authorizing Lauro. Trump was not in the courtroom.
The latest indictment against Trump omits references to some evidence from the original indictment Supreme Court ruling on immunity: mainly the allegation that the government tried to weaponize the Justice Department on behalf of Trump’s presidential campaign, including by bringing in a right-wing civilian environmental lawyer and election denier. Geoffrey Clarkepotentially taking over the DOJ a few days ago Attack on the US Capitol on January 6.
Chutkan, a lawyer for Smith’s office, said Thursday that prosecutors know Trump’s team plans to file another appeal all the way to the Supreme Court, and that Smith’s office is trying to streamline the process.
“We have to set up a schedule that leads to just one additional interlocutory appeal,” said federal prosecutor Thomas Windom, who works in Smith’s office. “We believe that all immunity determinations should be made at the same time, at the same time.”
Trump’s lawyer, Lauro, noted that the defense plans to challenge not only the indictment itself, but also Smith’s appointment.
“We have an illegal prosecutor, we have an illegal indictment,” Lauro said, arguing that Smith’s appointment as special counsel was not authorized by law and described Smith as a “private citizen.”
Trump-appointed federal judge in Florida He ruled that Smith was illegitimately appointed dismissed a separate classified documents case against Trump in July. The decision will affect many special advisers who have been appointed for decades. The Justice Department is appealing, and Attorney General Merrick Garland told NBC News that U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon judgment was wrong.
“Do I look like someone who made a fundamental mistake about the law?” Garland, who appointed Smith, he said. “I don’t think so.”
Chutkan said in court Thursday that he did not find the Florida judge’s decision persuasive.
After Trump’s initial indictment last August, Chutkan scheduled a trial for March 2024, meaning a verdict would likely be returned at that point, and Trump would likely face sentencing if convicted.
On January 6, multiple suspects appeared in federal court I regret that Trump is gullible enough to be fooled and manipulated by fraudulent election claims — some even calling themselves “idiots” — Trump, like Fox News and his lawyer Rudy Giuliani, continue to spread false information about the election. settled and lost accordingly, it handled civil cases related to its 2020 election fraud claims, resulting in hundreds of millions of dollars.
Trump recently told a podcaster that he lost the last election.with a mustache“— he actually lost the popular vote by seven million, and the Electoral College counted by a significant margin — before adding, still, “the election was rigged, and many people felt it.”
Federal prosecutors have indicted more than 1,400 defendants and convicted more than 1,000 people in connection with the January 6 attack. Hundreds of rioters received probation, but more than 500 were sentenced to several days behind bars. 22 years in federal prison for former Proud Boy chairman Enrique Tarrio, who was convicted of seditious conspiracy.