U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan on Friday approved a request from special counsel Jack Smith to delay next steps in the government’s election interference case against former President Trump.
Smith cited deliberations over how to take into account the Supreme Court’s immunity ruling between the administration and Trump’s representation. This comes after Chutkan asked both sides to prepare a joint report on the situation, which was originally due on Friday.
“While these consultations are well underway, the Government has not finalized its position on the most appropriate timetable for parties to report on matters relating to the decision,” the special counsel’s office said. “The Government therefore respectfully requests additional time to provide the Court with an informed proposal regarding the timetable for moving forward with pretrial proceedings. The defense does not oppose the Government’s request for an extension.”
With the judge’s approval, the report is due within three weeks, on August 30. A status conference that was scheduled at the courthouse for Aug. 16 has also been postponed until Sept. 5.
The document noted that Trump’s team did not oppose Smith’s extension request.
The Supreme Court’s early July ruling concluded that Trump has “presumptive immunity” for pressuring then-Vice President Mike Pence to certify a list of “fake voters” on January 6 to swing the election in his favor.
It has not yet been determined whether Trump’s case deserves protection and whether his actions are considered part of his essential duties. The case was returned to the Chutkan court for decision.
Last week, Chutkan rejected a motion from Trump’s lawyers to dismiss the indictment and instead decided to pursue the case after its eight-month hiatus.
The public will see for the first time how Smith will handle the case going forward when the joint status report is released.
This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story
