Special counsel Jack Smith accused former President Donald Trump of using his hush money trial in Manhattan to delay proceedings in his federal classified documents case in Florida.
Trump’s criminal trial in New York, on charges accusing him of falsifying business records related to alleged hush money payments before the 2016 election, began on Monday with jury selection. In a filing before the start of proceedings in Manhattan, Smith accused Trump’s lawyers of using that trial to delay movement in the classified documents trial.
“Following their pattern, the defendants responded to the Court’s deadline by seeking another postponement,” Smith said in a filing. “This time, Trump invokes his New York trial.”
Smith argued that Trump’s lawyers’ claims that they are inundated with work related to the hush money trial should not affect the classified documents case, calling it the “latest delay tactic.”
“Trump elected to engage the same counsel of record in multiple serious criminal matters, and his counsel agreed to the multiple engagements. Having made such decisions, they should not be allowed to use their overlapping engagements to perpetually delay trial in this case,” Smith said. “Not to mention, the defendants have capable local counsel who can contribute to the work. The Court should reject the defendants’ latest delay tactic and maintain the established deadline.”
“Each time the Court sets a new deadline in this case and attempts to keep it moving toward trial, the defendants reflexively ask for an adjournment. That must stop,” he added in the filing.
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The trial date in the classified documents case has yet to be finalized, but Smith’s and Trump’s lawyers have proposed different start dates. Smith has proposed a July trial date, while Trump’s lawyers have asked that the trial begin after the presidential election or, if that is not permitted, in August.
The former president faces four criminal indictments, including two other indictments on alleged attempts to overturn the 2020 election in Washington, D.C., and Georgia.