Four days after Donald Trump’s last indictment, the showdown between the Republican tenor and the judicial authorities has hardened, with prosecutors denouncing a threatening post by the billionaire potentially targeting witnesses in the case.
Mr. Trump defended himself on Saturday from any pressure, ensuring that he was addressing his political opponents and not the witnesses or the investigators who are suing him for having tried to reverse the results of the 2020 presidential election and favored the assault on Capitol Hill on January 6, 2021.
In his message posted Friday afternoon on his social network Truth Social, the day after his appearance in federal court in Washington, the candidate for the White House declared in capital letters: “If you seek me, you will find me! “.
A few hours later, the team of special prosecutor Jack Smith seized judge Tanya Chutkan, called to preside over the future trial of the ex-president, asking the magistrate to issue an injunction aimed at protecting evidence and witnesses from this resounding affair.
To support their claim, prosecutors pointed to Donald Trump’s habit of publicly commenting on his legal woes: “The defendant has previously made public statements on social media about witnesses, judges, lawyers and other people associated with ongoing legal cases against him,” they wrote.
Their argument specifically quotes Donald Trump’s message from Friday, in a threatening tone.
The prosecutors’ concern is fueled by the fact that, according to the principle of adversarial debate, Mr. Trump’s lawyers will be provided with a whole series of documents that have contributed to the impeachment case, in particular from the grand jury, which citizens’ panel charged with investigating and possibly recommending an indictment in US criminal proceedings.
“If the defendant were to publicly issue messages using details – or, for example, grand jury notes…it could have a chilling effect on witnesses or undermine the proper handling by the justice of this affair”, details the document signed by Jack Smith, who has become the pet peeve of Donald Trump.
“The proposed injunction seeks to prevent the inappropriate distribution or use of the documents of the procedure, in particular to the public”, insists the prosecutor.
Donald Trump, in a statement released early Saturday by his campaign team, defended himself from any intimidation, assuring that his seemingly threatening message fell within the boundaries of “free political expression” and was even a “perfect example “.
According to him, the words were in particular “in response to those who are Republican only in name” or even “to China lovers”.
Donald Trump, who claims to be the victim of a “witch hunt”, pleaded not guilty on Thursday to the four charges against him. The date of the trial will be set at the end of August, the prosecutor Smith wishing to see the case judged “without delay”.
The Republican has also been charged with criminal charges for his allegedly negligent handling of confidential White House documents and suspicious payments to a former porn actress.
Judge Tanya Chutkan gave Mr. Trump’s counsel until Monday 5:00 p.m. on Saturday to send the court their response to Prosecutor Smith’s request.
05/08/2023 18:35:09 – Washington (AFP) – © 2023 AFP
