Judge orders more Jack Smith Trump investigation docs to be made public ahead of election

The judge in former President Donald Trump's election interference case ordered additional documents about his claim of immunity to be made public before the November elections.

Oct 18, 2024 - 18:00
Judge orders more Jack Smith Trump investigation docs to be made public ahead of election

The judge in former President Donald Trump's federal election interference case ordered more documents to be revealed from special counsel Jack Smith's investigation into the former president just weeks before the 2024 election. 

U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan ordered on Thursday night that additional documents be made public. 

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The documents pertain to the appendix of exhibits in the fight over whether Trump has a level of presidential immunity that negates the charges against him. 

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Chutkan cited in the order Trump's claim that the "asymmetric release of charged allegations and related documents during early voting creates a concerning appearance of election interference." 

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According to the judge, while there is a public interest for courts to avoid involving themselves in elections, "it is in fact Defendant’s requested relief that risks undermining that public interest."

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"If the court withheld information that the public otherwise had a right to access solely because of the potential political consequences of releasing it, that withholding could itself constitute — or appear to be — election interference," she argued. 

She added that the court would continue keeping political considerations out of decisions, despite the defense's request. 

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"Any argument about 'what needs to happen before or shouldn’t happen before the election is not relevant here,'" Chutkan wrote. 

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