Washington — The federal court handling Donald Trump's 2020 election meddling case rejected his attorneys' request to hold special counsel Jack Smith's team in contempt over prosecutors' activities after the judge halted the case on Thursday. But the judge ruled no more “substantive” court filings without approval.
After the court stopped the case while Trump challenges his presidential immunity claim, the former president's attorneys accused prosecutors of “outrageous conduct” for giving over thousands of pages of evidence and submitting a petition. The defense said prosecutors were breaking a court order that halted the case so Trump could appeal to higher courts.
In her Thursday opinion, U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan found her Dec. 13 order suspending the lawsuit did not “clearly and unambiguously” ban Smith's team's conduct. She agreed with Trump to ban all parties from filing “any further substantive pretrial motions” without court approval until the halt is removed.
The Chutkan injunction was at issue after Trump appealed to a higher court a finding that rejected his claims of immunity. President Barack Obama selected Chutkan, who ruled that Trump's appeal “automatically stays any further proceedings that would move this case towards trial or impose additional burdens of litigation” on him.
The March 4 federal court hearing in Washington may be postponed as Trump's immunity claim moves through higher courts. A Washington federal appeals court panel of three judges heard arguments last week and might rule any day.
Prosecutors stated late last month that the case had been suspended, but the government would “continue to meet its own deadlines as previously determined” by the court
to promote the prompt resumption of the pretrial schedule” if Chutkan resumed the case.
As he seeks reelection, Trump faces four criminal charges, including one accusing him of trying to reverse his 2020 election loss to President Joe Biden.