Judge Opens the Door for Special Counsel to Target Trump Before Election

The 2024 election cycle could face a major shakeup, as special counsel Jack Smith is set to release new evidence against former President Donald Trump in the 2020 election subversion case. A recent decision from U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan allows Smith’s team to file an opening brief on presidential immunity by September 26, potentially dumping explosive information into the public eye less than six weeks before Election Day.

The decision comes after the Supreme Court ruled that presidents enjoy immunity for official acts, a point Trump’s defense team argued should delay further proceedings. Despite their push to defer any filings until December, Judge Chutkan brushed aside concerns about the proximity to the election, stating that the court is "not concerned" with the political calendar.

Key Facts About the Case:

• Special counsel Jack Smith could reveal FBI interviews and other new evidence against Trump as early as late September.

• Trump’s legal team sought a delay in addressing presidential immunity, but the court pressed forward with an accelerated schedule.

• Evidence in this case could have serious political implications, coming just weeks before the 2024 election.

Smith’s team intends to present evidence that Trump acted beyond his official role in challenging the 2020 election, which could land him in deeper legal jeopardy. The case is part of a broader series of prosecutions against Trump, who has already been convicted in a New York hush-money case and faces additional charges related to classified documents in Florida and a separate 2020 election case in Georgia.

Trump, who has maintained his innocence and pleaded not guilty, now faces the reality that his legal battles could play out in the public sphere during the critical final weeks of the 2024 election campaign. His team had hoped the Supreme Court’s ruling on presidential immunity would give them more time, but this latest court decision suggests otherwise.

With looming deadlines for filings throughout October and early November, the stage is set for a potential legal bombshell just as Trump’s campaign enters its final sprint.

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