Former DOJ official charged in Georgia case against Donald Trump opposes March trial date.
Former DOJ Official Opposes Trial Start Date in Trump Case
Jeffrey Clark, a former Department of Justice official and one of the 19 individuals charged in the case against former President Donald Trump in Georgia, has filed an objection to the proposed trial start date. According to a court document filed on Thursday, Clark’s attorney argues that the suggested date of March 4, 2024, is ”highly premature” as none of the defendants have been arraigned yet following their recent indictment.
Clark’s Objection and Concerns
Clark, who previously served as the head of the DOJ’s Civil Division under Trump, is the first defendant to oppose the proposed start date. The charges against him and the others involve alleged violations of Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act in their efforts to overturn the 2020 election results. Clark’s attorney also criticizes Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis for not consulting with the defendants’ counsel regarding suitable start date options, suggesting that she lacks knowledge of the attorneys’ schedules.
The court filing further reveals that Clark reserves the right to seek removal of his case to a federal court, a move already being pursued by co-defendant Mark Meadows, Trump’s former chief of staff.
Clark’s Perspective and Charges
While Trump faces 13 felony charges in the case, Clark is charged with racketeering and criminal attempt to commit false statements and writings. His attorney argues that Willis’s charges are based on a “turgid and prolix conspiracy theory” and highlights the politicization of the case, citing the trial start date’s proximity to Georgia’s presidential primary, where Trump is currently leading.
This indictment marks the fourth criminal case against Trump this year, including state charges in New York related to a hush money scheme in 2016, and federal charges in Florida and Washington, D.C., concerning classified documents and the 2020 election, respectively.
It is worth noting that while this is Clark’s first criminal charge, he was referred to as an unnamed “co-conspirator” in the Washington, D.C., indictment. The special counsel alleged that Clark had a meeting with Trump at the White House on January 3, 2021, without notifying his superiors, and accepted an offer from Trump to replace the acting attorney general, granting him more authority to assist with election matters.
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