Current:Home > FinanceTrump’s lawyers call for dismissal of classified documents case, citing presidential immunity-DB Wealth Institute B2 Expert Reviews
Trump’s lawyers call for dismissal of classified documents case, citing presidential immunity
View Date:2024-12-24 09:09:01
WASHINGTON (AP) — Former President Donald Trump’s legal team filed multiple motions Thursday night urging a Florida judge to dismiss the criminal case charging him with illegally retaining classified documents, claiming in part that presidential immunity protects him from prosecution — an argument they have already submitted to the U.S. Supreme Court in his election interference case.
Lawyers Christopher Kise and Todd Blanche wrote that the charges “turn on his alleged decision to designate records as personal under the Presidential Records Act (PRA) and to cause the records to be moved from the White House to Mar-a-Lago.” Since Trump made this decision while he was still in office, they wrote, it “was an official act, and as such is subject to presidential immunity.”
Trump faces dozens of felony counts in federal court in Florida accusing him of illegally hoarding classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate and obstructing government efforts to retrieve them. The case is currently set for trial on May 20, but that date could be pushed back.
Trump’s lawyers also argued that Attorney General Merrick Garland’s appointment of special counsel Jack Smith to investigate the former president was “unlawful” and grounds for dismissal of the documents case.
Smith’s other case against Trump was unveiled in August when the former president was indicted in Washington on felony charges for working to overturn the results of the 2020 election in the run-up to the violent riot by his supporters at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
The case had been set for trial on March 4 in federal court in Washington. But that date was canceled amid an appeal by Trump on the legally untested question of whether a former president is immune from prosecution for official acts taken in the White House. Trump’s lawyers have asked the Supreme Court to intervene, but it’s not clear if the justices will.
A June 2023 indictment charging Trump with dozens of felony counts alleges that investigators found boxes of sensitive documents recklessly stored at Mar-a-Lago in spaces including a ballroom, a bathroom and shower, his bedroom and a storage room. Prosecutors have said the documents he stowed, refused to return and in some cases showed to visitors risked jeopardizing not only relations with foreign nations but also the safety of troops and confidential sources.
Trump faces four criminal indictments in four different cities as he vies to reclaim the White House. The cases total 91 felony counts.
veryGood! (52)
Related
- Lee Zeldin, Trump’s EPA Pick, Brings a Moderate Face to a Radical Game Plan
- 4 killed in series of crashes on Ohio Turnpike, closing route in both directions
- Usher concert postponed hours before tour opener in Atlanta
- Georgia mayor faces felony charges after investigators say he stashed alcohol in ditch for prisoners
- Miami Marlins hiring Los Angeles Dodgers first base coach Clayton McCullough as manager
- 51 Must-Try Stress Relief & Self-Care Products for National Relaxation Day (& National Wellness Month)
- Candace Cameron Bure remembers playing 'weird' evil witch on 'Boy Meets World'
- Bills LB Matt Milano out indefinitely with torn biceps
- Kirk Herbstreit berates LSU fans throwing trash vs Alabama: 'Enough is enough, clowns'
- NASA still hasn't decided the best way to get the Starliner crew home: 'We've got time'
Ranking
- Shaboozey to headline halftime show of Lions-Bears game on Thanksgiving
- Family of man killed by Connecticut police officer files lawsuit, seeks federal probe of department
- NASA Shares Update on Astronauts Stuck Indefinitely in Space
- Usher concert postponed hours before tour opener in Atlanta
- When is 'The Golden Bachelorette' finale? Date, time, where to watch Joan Vassos' big decision
- Jordan Chiles Olympic Medal Controversy: USA Gymnastics Reveal Further Issues With Ruling
- 'Truffles is just like me:' How a Pennsylvania cat makes kids feel proud to wear glasses
- Massachusetts governor signs law phasing out toxic PFAS in firefighters’ gear
Recommendation
-
November 2024 full moon this week is a super moon and the beaver moon
-
Iran police shot a woman while trying to seize her car over hijab law violation, activists say
-
Candace Cameron Bure remembers playing 'weird' evil witch on 'Boy Meets World'
-
Bristol Palin Shares 15-Year-Old Son Tripp Has Moved Back to Alaska
-
Mississippi Valley State football player Ryan Quinney dies in car accident
-
Police identify suspect in break-in of Trump campaign office in Virginia
-
A weatherman had a panic attack live on air. What it teaches us.
-
New York county signs controversial mask ban meant to hide people's identities in public