Donald Trump criticised US District Judge Tanya Chutkan, calling her "the most evil person," after she released over 1,800 pages of evidence in Special Counsel Jack Smith’s election interference case. Donald Trump, who is running for the White House, accused the judge of “election interference” for refusing to delay the release of the documents until after upcoming elections.
Legal experts have debated whether the timing of these filings breach the Department of Justice's unwritten rule to avoid actions that could affect an election within 60 days of voting.
However, Judge Chutkan defended her decision, stating that withholding the documents could also be seen as interfering in the election. “If the court withheld information that the public otherwise had a right to access solely because of the potential political consequences... that withholding could itself constitute – or appear to be – election interference,” she wrote.
Last year, a woman from Texas was charged with threatening to kill Judge Chutkan, citing the Trump case.
The 1,889 pages of heavily redacted documents released on Friday include information already known to the public. They feature excerpts from former Vice President Mike Pence’s memoir and his public announcement that he would not overturn the 2020 election results.
These documents were part of a motion filed by Jack Smith last month. Trump, appearing on a podcast with conservative host Dan Bongino on Friday, lashed out at the judge and called the special counsel “a sick puppy.”
The indictment focuses on Trump’s alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election, leading to the 6 January 2021 Capitol riot. During the podcast, Trump compared the treatment of Capitol rioters to the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II. "Why are they still being held? Nobody's ever been treated like this," he said. "Maybe the Japanese during World War Two, frankly."
Earlier this year, the Supreme Court ruled that Trump could not be prosecuted for official acts carried out while president. Following that decision, Smith altered the case to argue that Trump committed illegal acts as a private citizen, even while still in office.
In a new filing last month, Smith accused Trump of knowingly spreading false claims of election fraud, calling them "crazy." The filing also described how tensions grew between Trump and Pence, with the former vice president urging Trump to drop the false claims and move forward.
The newly released documents contain transcripts from interviews conducted by the House committee that investigated the January 6 riot, excerpts from Pence’s memoir, and fundraising emails sent to voters.
It remains unclear whether the trial will move forward before the 2024 election. Trump has promised to end the case if he wins the presidency.
The former president is also facing several other legal challenges. He has already been convicted on 34 felony counts in New York related to a hush-money payment.
