DOJ Calls Trump’s Delay Tactics ‘Suitably Backward’ And Defense ‘Borderline Frivolous’
Prosecutors were not amused by the 45th president’s attempts to wriggle from accountability for the theft of classified and national defense documents.
On Thursday, the prosecutor’s office of Special Counsel responded to Trump’s efforts to postpone indefinitely the date of his criminal trial in a classified defense and document case and use of the Presidential Records Act as a defense.
“There is no legal or factual basis for proceeding in such an uncertain and open manner, and the Defendants have not provided one,” they wrote write.
“For the reasons discussed below and in the Government Motion, the Court should rearrange the trial date in this lawsuit to 11 December 2023”
Prosecutors cited the Speed Trial Act of 1974, saying that while the defendants rebuked the government for wanting an “expedited” trial, they were “backsliding”, as: “A speedy trial is a fundamental requirement of the Constitution and of the United States Code, not preference.” The government must be justified.”
To be fair, Donald Trump has never displayed even the faintest familiarity with the US Constitution, and (presumably) his unpaid and beleaguered lawyers are unlikely to be able to educate him on the matter.
The government cites some facts (rarely good moments for former presidents):
“The first sentence of the Act closes Defendants’ proposal here:
In any case involving an accused who has been charged with an offence, the appropriate judicial officer, at the earliest practicable time, after consultation with the defendant’s legal counsel and the Government’s lawyers, fixes the case for trial on a specified day, … to ensure trial fast. 18 USC § 3161(a).”
Both defendant Trump and his aide Nauta have claimed they cannot accept a fair trial before *after* the 2024 election. Please include eye roll here, because we all know that if Trump wins, these prosecutions will be dropped immediately. We see you, 45.
Prosecutors called Trump’s claim that the Presidential Records Act granted him a defense on the criminal charges he faced “borderline recklessness”.
As for the Presidential Records defense that Trump continues to speak of, prosecutors have called this bordering on reckless, one that exhibits extraordinary restraint. “As for the impact of the Presidential Records Act on these prosecutions, any argument mandating the cancellation of the Indictment or establishing a defense against the charges here is frivolous.”
They quote:
“PRA is not criminal law, and in no way is it intended to address the retention of national security information. The Defendants are, of course, free to make whatever arguments they like to dismiss the Indictment, and the Government will respond promptly. But they must not be allowed to hint at unfounded legal arguments, call them “novels,” and then claim that the Court will require an indefinite continuation to resolve them.
ALSO, they added:
“In addition, even if the Court concludes that these legal matters are new, the Ordinance demands much more: the matter must be such new that “it is unreasonable to expect adequate preparation for pretrial proceedings or for the trial itself within the stipulated time limits. by this passage.”
The administration has clearly become accustomed to Donald Trump’s standard operating procedures when faced with the now mounting legal woes and indictments. Trump’s first move has always been to delay adjournment, while poisoning the jury with persistent accusations of “witch hunt” and political persecution.
In fact, Trump has very little defense to offer for the theft of these defense documents, and even less to share them with others who do not have permission to view them.
Trump’s actions have endangered the national security of the United States, public safety, and the safety of our troops and assets. Others who have done 1/10th of what is charged have faced far worse consequences and are not getting endlessly suspended for whatever reason, let alone wanting to run for president.
Donald Trump is hereby known as “Borderline Frivolous, Exactly Backward.”
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