U.S. Special Counsel Jack Smith’s office, who asked a judge in a court filing on Thursday to start the trial on that specific date, as reported by Reuter, interest is “of particular significance here, where the defendant, a former president, is charged with conspiring to overturn the legitimate results of the 2020 presidential election, obstruct the certification of the election results, and discount citizens’ legitimate votes.”

Trial should happen after elections: Donald Trump

A Trump spokesperson accused Smith and the Justice Department of blatantly playing political games,”, citing Trump’s 2024 election lead. Trump suggested on Truth Social that any trial be post-2024 elections, potentially allowing him to halt prosecution if reelected.

“Such a trial …… should only happen, if at all, AFTER THE ELECTION,” Trump said in a post on Thursday.

Prosecutors estimate a 4-6 week trial to present the bulk of their case against Trump. Smith’s office said it is prepared to turn over to Trump by the end of August most of the evidence it intends to use at trial in a process known as discovery.

U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan in Washington, who is presiding over the election case, is set to hold a Friday hearing on how that evidence may be handled by Trump and his defense team.

Prosecutors also said there is a “minimal” amount of classified information involved in the election case, and asked Chutkan to address that issue at a previously scheduled Aug. 28 hearing.

A January trial would have Trump on trial three times in the first half of 2024.

He will go to trial in March over New York state charges that he falsified documents in connection with hush money payments to a porn star. Trump also faces a May trial from Smith in southern Florida over the retention of classified documents after leaving office.

Updated: 11 Aug 2023, 06:39 AM IST