Attorneys representing former President Donald Trump have made a formal request to Judge Aileen Cannon, who was appointed by Trump, urging her to take “appropriate action” in response to allegations that Special Counsel Jack Smith is deliberately impeding Trump’s campaign efforts.
The request comes amid a backdrop of legal proceedings related to the Espionage Act violations, involving 37 counts against ex-President Trump.
Judge Cannon, chosen at random to oversee the trial, has been previously associated with a controversial ruling that was later overturned by an appeals court, which featured a panel inclusive of two other Trump-appointed judges.
In its brief in the D.C. Case, the Special Counsel’s Office argues that a December jury selection and January 2, 2024 trial date before Judge Chutkan is appropriate, with full knowledge of the schedules of both President Trump and his attorneys between now and the end of that year, not the least of which includes preparing for the May 2024 trial before Your Honor. President Trump opposes a January 2024 trial date in the D.C. Case for many of the same reasons articulated in President Trump’s July 10, 2023, brief to Your Honor in which we responded to the government’s revised scheduling order. (See generally ECF No. 66). As the Special Counsel is aware, there is a multitude of complicated practical issues surrounding President Trump’s schedule, including a six-week trial beginning in October 2023 in New York in a matter brought by the New York Attorney General against President Trump and his companies, as well as an ongoing contested primary for the Republican nomination for President of the United States. This is in addition to preparation for a March 25, 2024, criminal trial brought against President Trump by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office. A Special Counsel committed to the fair administration of Justice should never have circumvented this Court’s orders under any circumstance, much less with full knowledge of the various issues presented with these multiple indictments against the leading Republican candidate for President of the United States.Respectfully, the Special Counsel’s conduct necessitates appropriate action by Your Honor. In addition to blatantly ignoring this Court’s scheduled evidentiary hearing on December 11, 2023, the Special Counsel’s actions appear to be intentionally motivated to prevent President Trump from meaningfully preparing for either trial and to simultaneously prevent him from running a campaign for President of the United States. We are separately seeking appropriate relief from Judge Chutkan, as noted in Exhibit 2, and we respectfully request Your Honor order the Special Counsel to explain its reasoning for arguing for a pretrial and trial schedule in the D.C. Case that conflicts directly with this Court’s current trial schedule.Respectfully submitted, Christopher M. Kise
While her decisions have varied in their favorability towards Trump, some aspects of her conduct have prompted scrutiny. In a recent development, Judge Cannon denied a request from Special Counsel Jack Smith to seal specific evidence related to a classified documents case.
