LOS ANGELES.–Furiously filing documents and evidence to keep former President Donald Trump’s March 4 trial on schedule, 54-year-old Special Counsel Jack Smith violated federal Judge Tanya Chutkan’s order to pause the proceeding until Trump’s counsel is given enough time to litigate his case in the Second Circuit Court of Appeals and possibly the Supreme Court. Smith bypassed the Second Circuit Court, filing an for immediate consideration in the Supreme Court whether or not Trump can claim presidential immunity, preventing the Special Counsel from prosecuting Trump for obstructing the Jan. 6, 2021 Electoral College certification of the Nov. 3, 2020 presidential vote. Trump’s lawyer John Lauro asked Judge Chutkan to rule on contempt charges against Smith and his team for pressing the court to rule on the question of presidential immunity to keep the March 4 trial on schedule.
No one knows the reason behind Smith’s insistence on a March 4 trial date, knowing the government could use more time preparing its case against Trump. Democrats and the press think that if Trump gets any court-ordered delays, he could push all legal proceedings until after the Nov. 3, 2024 election, if not ban it entirely. Smith wanted the Supreme Court to rule on whether or not Trump was exempt dude to presidential immunity. Supreme Court rejected Smith’s request Dec. 22, 2023 for a ruling on presidential immunity. Why didn’t Smith think of that issue back in Aug. 2023 when he charged Trump with obstruction of the Jan. 6, 2021 Electoral College certification? Smith acts like it’s life-or-death if he doesn’t start his trial on schedule March 4. Smith does Democrats and the press bidding to stop Trump from running in 2024 general election
Why all the rush for Smith? What’s all the urgency about, other than stopping Trump’s 2024 campaign? When it comes to the immunity issue, Chutkan already said Dec. 2, 2023 that Trump’s presidency “does not confer a life-long get out of jail free pass,” expressing her own bias about Trump’s lack of immunity. But since Chutkan is a U.S. District Court Judge, not a Supreme Court Associate Justice, she has no authority to rule on Trump’s immunity. Smith wanted to bypass the D.C. Second Circuit Court of Appeals, something the Supreme Court rejected. Smith’s urgency mirrors Democrats-and-the-press that wants to try, convict and lock Trump up before the Nov. 3 presidential election. Chutkan has a real problems ignoring Smith’s demands since she put the case on hold pending appeal and litigation in the Supreme Court. Smith can do no wrong for Democrats and the press.
Watching Smith’s prosecution, it’s eerily reminiscent to former Special Counsel Robert Mueller who prosecuted Trump for 22-months at a cost of $40 million on accusations that Trump colluded with the Kremlin to win the 2016 presidential election. Everyone knew, including Mueller, that he had no probable cause to charge and prosecute Trump other than former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton’s fake Steele Dossier. Yet Mueller took the money and ran with the fake investigation for nearly two years. Why would Trump, or anyone else for that matter, think there’s any factual case against Trump this time around? Smith’ case assumes facts not in evidence that Trump planned-and-orchestrated the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection, something not proven by House Jan. 6 Select Committee. House prosecutors found no evidence that Trump was involved in Jan. 6.
Trump’s attorney John Lauro asked Chutkan to charge Smith and his prosecutors with contempt for not heeding her call to halt the proceedings. “These were no accidents. The submissions were fully planned, intentional violations of the stay order, which the prosecutors freely admit the perpetuated in hope of unlawfully advancing this case,” Lauro told Chutkan. Luuro wants Smith to reimburse Trump for attorneys’ fees for legal costs “incurred responding to the prosecutor’s improper production and filings,” Lauro asked Chutkan. Why do Democrats and the press all side with Smith, not consider the prejudice with which Trump has been treated throughout the case? If Chutkan wants to preserve the integrity of the case, she’d ask Smith to delay the trial until after the 2024 election. Smith seems overly worried about Trump pardoning himself it he wins office.
Smith has flashed his cards for all to see working on behalf not of the Constitution and rule of law on behalf of Democrats and the press. Why do Democrats and the press want to convict Trump based on scant evidence? House Jan. 6 Select Commit spent a year-and-a-half investigating Trump’s alleged role in the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol insurrection. All they could find were biased witnesses seeking to stab Trump in the back, not any real facts. What case does Smith have presenting old, worthless classified does found in moving boxes in Mar-a-Lago’s basement to prove Trump violated the 1917 Espionage Act? Smith said when charging Trump last summer last August that Trump threatened U.S. national security. If that doesn’t tell the real story about Smith’s political bias then what does? Smith looks more like Mueller 2.0, then having a real case against Trump.
About the Author
John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He’s editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.
