Trump Accuses Jack Smith Of Violating Court Order, Wants Prosecutor Held In Contempt

 Former President Donald Trump on Thursday accused special counsel Jack Smith of violating a court order halting proceedings in the case against the former president, who accuses him of unlawfully conspiring to overturn the results of the 2020 election. Trump's re-election campaign said that Trump wanted to implicate Smith in a contempt of court case.

Trump's lawyers pointed to a stay of proceedings granted by Obama-appointed U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan as they appealed the denial of their request to dismiss the case. Although the appeal, which hinges on presidential immunity and double jeopardy claims, was rejected by the D.C. was taken up by the Circuit Court of Appeals, Smith's team kept making the submission anyway, Trump's lawyers noted.

The 15-page filing says prosecutors "almost immediately" violated last month's freeze by searching thousands of pages and producing an "alleged" draft exhibit list. Despite "warnings" from Trump that he would seek relief if his "malicious conduct" continued, prosecutors filed a motion filled with "partisan rhetoric, including false claims."

Trump's legal team wrote, "Thus, prosecutors seek to weaponize the stay to spread political propaganda, knowing that President Trump will not fully respond because the Court relieved him of the burden of litigation during the stay." Is." "What's worse, prosecutors have announced their intention to continue this partisan misconduct indefinitely, effectively turning this court order into an arm of [President Joe Biden's re-election] campaign. has been changed."

Trump's lawyers in Washington, D.C. Asked the federal court to order prosecutors to "show cause" why they should not be held in contempt, require them to withdraw their filings, and refuse to produce them in the future without the express permission of the court. Should be prosecuted, and monetary sanctions for attorneys' fees and expenses incurred in response were assessed.

Smith's team did not immediately issue a response to the filing, declining to comment to the media.

Giving his order, Chutkan said the stay would "prevent any further proceedings that would take this case to trial or place additional burden of litigation on the defendants." But there were some caveats, including insisting that the deadline be struck and the proceedings "not be permanently vacated" and that protective measures — such as a gag order against Trump — remain in place until then. Will remain so unless a higher court rules otherwise.

The Supreme Court has declined to immediately consider the question of whether presidential immunity gives Trump broad protection against prosecution, with a three-judge panel at the federal appeals court scheduled to hear oral arguments on Jan. 9. The trial is currently scheduled to begin March 4 – the day before Super Tuesday – but that could depend on how long it takes to resolve the issue of presidential immunity.

As he mounts a third campaign for the White House, Trump faces three other criminal cases, as well as civil litigation involving the former president's handling of classified documents led by Smith. Trump has largely denied any wrongdoing and has argued that politically motivated prosecutors are conducting a "witch hunt" against him.

"Instead of respecting the rule of law, Jack Smith decided to unilaterally disobey the restraining order and continue his vexatious litigation, all in the name of election interference against the pathetic Biden campaign," a Trump spokesperson said. "This was done to keep repeating the corrupt words of." Steven Cheung said in a statement from the former president's re-election campaign. “As a result, President Trump is trying to hold Deranged Jack in contempt of court. No prosecutor is above the law.”