Judge Tanya Chutkan has agreed to unseal Special Counsel Jack Smith’s “evidence” in the January 6 case against President Donald Trump, despite pushback from Trump’s legal team. The evidence, part of a 165-page document, is being released during a highly sensitive time as early voting for the 2024 election is already underway.
Trump’s legal team filed a motion on Thursday to block the release, arguing that the unsealed evidence was an attempt to interfere with the election. In their filing, Trump’s lawyers claimed that Smith had “cherry-picked” the information in an attempt to damage Trump’s reputation just weeks before voters head to the polls. They called the timing of the release a clear effort to manipulate the election.
Despite these objections, Judge Chutkan ruled in favor of unsealing the evidence but paused the release for seven days to give Trump’s legal team time to explore other legal options. The temporary delay could allow Trump’s attorneys to appeal the decision or take other steps to prevent the release of the materials.
Jack Smith’s legal argument centers on the claim that Trump’s actions on January 6 were private, not official, and therefore not protected by presidential immunity. Smith argued that Trump and his co-conspirators were operating as candidates when they tried to disrupt the election results.
The timing of this legal development, just as early voting has started, has led some to accuse the Biden administration of using the legal system to undermine Trump’s re-election bid. The release of the evidence is likely to fuel more debate as the election approaches.
