Former President Donald Trump’s election interference trial no longer appears on the public calendar for the federal district court in Washington, D.C.
The precise date the trial was removed is unclear, though a federal official told The Washington Post that it was still included on an internal master calendar from Jan. 26. Trump’s trial was scheduled for March 4, but proceedings in the case are currently on hold during his presidential immunity appeal.
In an order Friday, District Judge Tanya Chutkan officially vacated the March 4 date.
“The court will set a new schedule if and when the mandate is returned,” she wrote.
Deadlines for Fani Willis to respond to allegations about her “improper” relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade and potential misuse of county funds are rapidly approaching.
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Chutkan shot down Trump’s bid to dismiss his case based on the argument that he is immune from prosecution for “official acts” taken during his presidency on Dec. 1. The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals heard oral arguments on Trump’s appeal Jan. 9 and has not yet issued a decision. (RELATED: You May Have Missed It, But Trump Just Got A Few Massive Boosts Last Month)
With allegations against Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis putting the Georgia racketeering case in jeopardy and the judge in Trump’s Florida case considering postponing that trial, the criminal indictment that looks likeliest to continue to trial before the election is the hush-money case in Manhattan.
Trump was indicted on 34 counts last year for allegedly falsifying business records related to hush-money payments made to porn star Stormy Daniels. The trial is currently scheduled for March.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – JANUARY 27: Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign event at Big League Dreams Las Vegas on January 27, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images)
The issue will likely end up at the Supreme Court after the D.C. Circuit rules. Special Prosecutor Jack Smith tried in December to preserve Trump’s trial date by asking the Supreme Court to consider the appeal before letting the lower court weigh in, but the justices declined to take it up first.
While proceedings have been paused, Smith’s team continued to file documents on suspended deadlines in an effort to keep the case on track for when the appeal is resolved. Chutkan declined Trump’s request to hold prosecutors in contempt for continuing to file documents, which his lawyers had argued was an effort to “weaponize the Stay to spread political propaganda” and convert the court’s docket “into an arm of the Biden Campaign.”
Chutkan did clarify that the parties should first seek leave from the court before filing more “substantive pretrial motions” during the stay.
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