Judge Pauses Trump Election Case as Prosecutors Move to Drop Charges
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WASHINGTON – U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan suspended all deadlines on Friday in the election interference case against President-elect Donald Trump as federal prosecutors prepared to withdraw the charges.
The judge’s action followed news that special counsel Jack Smith, per Justice Department policy against prosecuting a sitting president, intended to end both federal cases against Trump. “The Government respectfully requests that the Court vacate the remaining deadlines in the pretrial schedule to allow time to assess this unprecedented situation and determine the appropriate course forward consistent with DOJ policy,” Smith wrote in a filing Friday.
In response, the Trump campaign called for the criminal cases against him to be dismissed. “The American people have re-elected President Trump with an overwhelming mandate to Make America Great Again,” campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung said in a statement. “It is now clear that Americans want an end to the weaponization of our justice system, so we can, as President Trump emphasized in his victory speech, unify the country and work together to improve our nation.”
Continuing the prosecutions would contradict the DOJ’s longstanding policy of not trying a sitting president. A decision on dropping the charges could come soon, given impending deadlines in both cases.
Trump faces charges in Washington, D.C., for allegedly attempting to overturn the 2020 election and obstructing Congress's certification of the Electoral College votes on Jan. 6, 2021. Judge Chutkan was reviewing Trump’s claim of immunity in light of a July Supreme Court ruling.
In a separate case, Trump was indicted for allegedly retaining classified documents after his presidency. U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon dismissed these charges, citing concerns over Smith’s appointment, but Smith has appealed her ruling to the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
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