Special Counsel’s Team Having A Hard Time Keeping Up With Team Trump

Special counsel Jack Smith’s team isn’t ready for the big leagues. After getting caught off guard by President Trump’s lawyers’ attempt to get a delay on his Jan. 6 case, federal prosecutors tried to convince Judge Cannon she was being manipulated.

"Special Counsel Jack Smith Is Fed Up With Trump’s ‘At Any Cost’ Delay Tactics" https://t.co/kUqAbX3Yit

— Backstorymom1 (@Backstorymom1) November 2, 2023

From ABC News:

“Trump’s actions in the hours following the hearing … confirm his overriding interest in delaying both trials at any cost,” Department of Justice prosecutors wrote in a filing to Judge Aileen Cannon in Florida federal court. “This Court should [not] allow itself to be manipulated in this fashion.”

The prosecutors were referring to a Wednesday hearing before Cannon in which Trump’s lawyers argued that it would be impossible for them to simultaneously work on the Florida trial, which deals with Trump’s alleged retention of classified documents, and a D.C. trial dealing with 2020 election interference, both of which are being prosecuted by Smith’s team.

As of Thursday, the D.C. trial is set to begin in early March, and the Florida case is slated to kick off in May, both of which are in the heart of the primary season.

Cannon seemed amenable to Trump’s pleas on Wednesday, saying, “I’m having a hard time seeing how this work can be accomplished in this compressed period of time.”

NEW: Just left classified docs case hearing in Judge Cannon courtroom. She will consider a modified trial schedule given numerous issues including voluminous discovery, discovery delays, late delivery of secure location to review evidence and Trump’s conflicting trial schedules.

— Julie Kelly 🇺🇸 (@julie_kelly2) November 1, 2023

In Thursday’s filing, prosecutors argued Trump’s lawyers never told Cannon that they were planning to submit a filing on Wednesday night in D.C. court asking for that trial to be delayed, as well.

Judge Cannon appeared skeptical about special counsel’s assurances the March 4 trial date for DC case won’t run into May 20 trial date for classified documents case.

She admonished DOJ’s Jay Bratt for his “level of understanding to these realities.”

She also asked for an…

— Julie Kelly 🇺🇸 (@julie_kelly2) November 1, 2023

In the Wednesday night filing, Trump’s team insisted he shouldn’t have to face trial in D.C. while that court considers his bid to dismiss the case in its entirety.

Trump pleaded not guilty in June to 37 criminal counts related to his handling of classified materials, after prosecutors said he repeatedly refused to return hundreds of documents containing classified information and took steps to thwart the government’s efforts to get the documents back.

Two months later he pleaded not guilty to charges of undertaking a “criminal scheme” to overturn the results of the 2020 election. He has denied all wrongdoing in both cases.

In a motion filed last month in the Jan. 6 case, Trump’s lawyers claimed he has “absolute immunity” from prosecution for actions taken while serving in the nation’s highest office.