Special counsel Jack Smith slams Trump's attempt to delay documents deadline citing hush money trial

FORT PIERCE, FLORIDA: Special counsel Jack Smith asked the judge overseeing Donald Trump's classified documents case to deny the former president's bid to delay the deadline to review classified evidence using the New York hush money trial, CNN reported.

Trump will become the first former president to go to trial for criminal charges when he sets foot in the court on Monday, April 15, in the hush money case for allegedly falsifying business records shortly before the 2016 election to pay adult film actress Stormy Daniels to silence her about his extramarital affair.

On Saturday, April 13, the GOP presumptive nominee asked US District Judge Aileen Cannon to delay a May deadline to disclose classified evidence to Smith in the case where he allegedly retained classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate after leaving the Oval Office in 2021.

Trump's attorneys, Todd Blanche and Emil Bove, said the former president cannot be at both courts simultaneously. "President Trump has a constitutional right to be present at the trial in New York and, as a result, cannot participate in this work relating to important parts of his defense," they wrote in a filing to the judge.

Jack Smith blasts Donald Trump's delay attempt

Smith, who is investigating the classified documents case, retorted to Trump's latest request to catalyze the hush money trial to delay the case in Florida.

In a court filing on Sunday, April 14, the special counsel said the court set the May 9 deadline fully apprised about the ex-president's NY trial and dismissed the defendant's motion, accusing them of acting like they had no forewarning about the 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," Smith demanded.

"The Court should deny defendants' motions to continue the May 9 expert witness disclosure and CIPA Section 5 notice deadlines," he added as per Raw Story.

Trump's lawyers said in their filing that the former president and his attorney would not have time to prepare and discuss the lengthy classified submissions amid the NY criminal trial. However, federal prosecutors from Smith's office stressed to Cannon that Trump's team should be prepared for the defense arguments.

The judge, a Trump appointee, has not yet set a trial date for the classified documents. However, she has rejected the White House hopeful's multiple bids to dismiss the case.

Internet reacts

Netizens echoed Smith's disappointment and frustration over Trump using his NY criminal trial to further delay the classified documents deadline.

One user asked, "The clown show is still on?" Meanwhile, another wrote, "If I were innocent, I'd want to prove it before the election. If I wasn't, I'd delay the hell out of it."

"Smith knows his demands are futile. He has to be gearing up for the 11th Circuit," a third user added. On the other hand, someone else said, "Trump should have been on trial by now. The system is letting us down."

A fifth response read, "It’s about time for judges to be fed up also. Time to move things along." While another frustrated user asked, "When are these nonsensical Trump delays going to stop?"

"Trump trying to work one felony court case against another. Jack Smith is fed up," an individual said.

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