On Friday, nearly half of America’s state attorneys general joined President Donald Trump in urging the U.S. Supreme Court to postpone his trial in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6 charges until the court decides on his presidential immunity case.
In an 18-page document, the officials contended that special counsel Jack Smith is aiming to expedite the case, anticipating that a guilty verdict would undermine Trump’s efforts to regain the presidency and keep Joe Biden in office.
The document was endorsed by the attorneys general from Alabama, Alaska, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, West Virginia, and Wyoming.
Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall spearheaded the initiative. Marshall, in a statement provided to Secrets, remarked, “After waiting 30 months to file these charges against President Trump, the United States wants us to believe that time is of the essence.”
However, he added, “Biden’s Department of Justice has given no reason for its delay in bringing these charges, or for its demand to rush this trial and short-circuit review of weighty constitutional issues. All that suggests that the special counsel wants to protect Biden by convicting his challenger right before the election. If that’s true, it would be deeply improper and a clear breach of Department of Justice rules.”
Earlier this week, Smith urged the high court to reject Trump’s request for a delay.
The crux of the matter lies in Smith’s attempt to expedite his Jan. 6 case to trial before the Supreme Court adjudicates a separate issue regarding whether Trump, as president, enjoyed immunity from charges during and after his tenure.
The coalition of 22 states contends in their brief that the Supreme Court should suspend proceedings until it can deliberate on Trump’s immunity assertion. “Before subjecting a former president to a federal criminal trial for the first time in our nation’s history, this court must determine whether such a trial aligns with the Constitution,” the brief emphasized.
Furthermore, they asserted that beyond political considerations, Smith’s endeavor to accelerate the case against Trump poses a threat to democracy.
