US Justice Department Requests Pause on Trump Case

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Facts

  • US federal Judge Tanya S. Chutkan granted US Dept. of Justice (DOJ) special counsel Jack Smith’s request to pause the deadlines in his 2020 election interference case against Pres.-elect Donald Trump.[1]
  • This comes two days after DOJ sources told NBC News that they were working to wind down their two cases against Trump — the other being the classified documents case.[2]
  • In his filing, Smith wrote that as Trump "is expected to be certified as President-elect on January 6, 2025, and inaugurated on January 20, 2025," he requests "time" to "determine the appropriate course going forward consistent with Department of Justice policy."[3]
  • Regarding the classified documents case, Smith's office has yet to make a similar request. That case was dismissed by Judge Aileen M. Cannon over the summer, but Smith's team has filed an appeal and is scheduled to file more documents this month.[1]
  • In response to the news, Republican members of the House Judiciary Committee asked Smith on Friday to "preserve all existing and future records and materials related" to the cases. They issued concerns that he may try to "purge" the documents the committee has been requesting access to.[4]
  • This comes amid reports out of New York that Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan is considering dismissing Trump's conviction in his so-called "hush money" case. Merchan has already delayed the sentencing for that case by four months.[5]

Sources: [1]The New York Times, [2]NBC, [3]ABC News, [4]FOX News and [5]New York Post.

Narratives

  • Democratic narrative, as provided by The Washington Post. Jack Smith should have been able to prosecute this case months ago, and despite the urgency to address Trump's 2020 election interference, he faced unnecessary obstacles from both the Trump campaign and the courts. While Judge Chutkan approved his filing, these delays — which were based on ironic claims that Smith was interfering in an election — ultimately undermined the DOJ's pursuit of justice.
  • Republican narrative, as provided by Townhall. Jack Smith's actions resulted in interfering with public perceptions in the election, which is why even anti-Trump news outlets were calling him out on it. Just before the election, Smith filed a 165-page long shot filing aimed at smearing Trump — but it didn't work and the country voted for Trump nonetheless. Smith, as well as all the state prosecutors who attacked Trump, are finally ending their bad faith witch hunts.