Silke Mayr WASHINGTON — A U.S. District Judge has temporarily suspended all deadlines in the election interference case against Donald Trump while federal prosecutors prepare to possibly drop the charges.
Judge Tanya Chutkan’s decision comes after reports that special counsel Jack Smith intends to close both federal cases against the former president, following a Department of Justice policy that prevents the prosecution of a sitting president.
In a filing on Friday, Smith asked the court to vacate the remaining pretrial deadlines, citing the need to reassess the situation in light of this unusual circumstance and in accordance with DOJ guidelines.
“The Government respectfully requests that the Court vacate the remaining deadlines in the pretrial schedule to give the Government time to evaluate this unprecedented situation and determine the next steps, consistent with Department of Justice policy,” Smith said in the court filing.
Trump Campaign Pushes for Case Dismissal
In response, Trump’s campaign issued a statement calling for the criminal charges to be dropped entirely.
“President Trump has been re-elected by a landslide victory with a clear mandate to ‘Make America Great Again,’” said Steven Cheung, a spokesperson for the Trump campaign. “It is now abundantly clear that the American people demand an immediate end to the political weaponization of the justice system. As President Trump stated in his victory speech, we must unify this country and work together for its betterment.”
The statement from the Trump campaign echoed the argument that moving forward with the case would undermine the DOJ’s long-standing policy against prosecuting a sitting president.
Prosecutors Could Drop Charges in the Coming Weeks
Prosecutors will likely decide within weeks whether to proceed with the charges or formally withdraw them, especially as the court faces tight deadlines in both of Trump’s federal cases.
In Washington, Trump faces charges for allegedly attempting to interfere with the results of the 2020 presidential election and obstructing Congress’s certification of the Electoral College vote on January 6, 2021. Judge Chutkan had been considering whether Trump could be shielded from prosecution under a ruling from the Supreme Court issued in July.
Additionally, Trump is facing separate charges for allegedly retaining classified documents after leaving office. U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon had dismissed the charges earlier, ruling that Smith’s appointment as special counsel was flawed. However, the Department of Justice has since appealed this decision to the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.