Opinion: Why Is Special Prosecutor Jack Smith Asking for More Time in Trump Jan. 6 Case?
Shan Wu is a former federal prosecutor who served as counsel to Attorney General Janet Reno
Some devilry may be afoot within the U.S. Justice Department as the usual aggressive pace of Special Counsel Jack Smith took an uncharacteristic time-out by asking to delay his response in the January 6 prosecution of former President Trump.
Smith who has repeatedly emphasized the public’s need to have answers about Trump’s election interference efforts prior to the had been ordered by Judge Tanya Chutkan to confer with Trump’s defense lawyers to propose a schedule by Aug. 9 to be discussed at an Aug. 16 hearing. Instead, Smith filed a two-page joint status report, explaining that he needed more time to assess the effect of the U.S. Supreme Court’s presidential immunity and asked to submit another status report on Aug. 30.
Unsurprisingly, Trump’s lawyers did not oppose the delay. Judge Chutkan granted Smith’s proposal—no surprise given that both prosecution and defense were in agreement—and the new hearing date is now Sept. 5, only 60 days before the election.
Smith’s team and the Justice Department have had some forty days to analyze how best to proceed in light of the Supreme Court’s pro-Trump ruling. While the ruling likely curtailed some of Smith’s case—such as immunizing any communications Trump........
© The Daily Beast
visit website