The next US presidential election is coming up next year – and ex-president Donald Trump, who wants to run again, has to answer to several court cases during the election campaign.
The court case against former US President Donald Trump in the affair about the confiscation of secret government documents is scheduled to start on May 20, 2024. The judge responsible for the case in the state of Florida, Aileen Cannon, said in an order. The start of the process thus falls in the middle of the election campaign for the next presidential election in early November 2024. Trump wants to run again. He is confronted with several court cases in the election year.
Trump’s team sees the determination of the start of the process as a success. A spokesman called the judge’s decision to allow Trump’s trial to begin in May 2024 as a “major setback” for the US Department of Justice. The spokesman argued that this schedule allows the ex-president and his lawyers to continue to take action against the baseless allegations. President Joe Biden will fail in trying to get rid of his top rival.
Trump pleads not guilty
Trump was charged at the federal level in June for storing top-secret government documents at his Mar-a-Lago property in Florida and not returning them when requested. At the beginning of August 2022, the Federal Police FBI searched Trump’s villa and confiscated several sets of documents classified as top secret. The Republican pleaded not guilty at a court hearing in Miami in June.
There had been legal wrangling between the prosecutor’s office and Trump’s lawyers about the start of the trial in Florida. Trump’s team last week requested a delay in starting the trial, citing the complexity of the case and the fact that their client is running for the Republican presidential nomination. For its part, the US Department of Justice had asked for a delay until December 11, 2023, after the court had previously set August 14.
Not the only legal construction site
The trial in Miami isn’t the only one Trump has to contest in the coming year: He’s also facing a trial in New York. Charges were brought against him there at the end of March. Prosecutors in New York have charged Trump with falsifying business documents in 34 cases. He is said to have attempted to hide harmful information and illegal activities before and after the 2016 presidential election, in which he emerged victorious. At the center of the allegations is the payment of hush money to a porn actress. Trump pleaded not guilty in a New York court in early April. The trial in the case is scheduled to begin in March 2024, a few weeks before the Miami trial.
The Republican also faces legal difficulties elsewhere. He himself is anticipating an imminent third indictment in connection with the 2020 presidential election and the storming of the US Capitol on January 6, 2021. In the weeks after the 2020 election, Trump had created false allegations that massive voter fraud had stolen his victory. At the beginning of January 2021, there was an unprecedented attack on the seat of the US Congress, during which Trump supporters tried to prevent the formal confirmation of Joe Biden’s election victory and thus the change of power in Washington.
Grand jury decision expected soon
A special investigator, who is also leading the investigation into the document affair against the ex-president, has been gathering evidence in the case for the past few months and, according to Trump, recently gave Trump a deadline to comment on the matter before the responsible jury. According to US media, the deadline expired on Friday night. According to everything that is known, Trump did not take the opportunity to comment on the case, the CNN broadcaster reported. Observers expect the so-called grand jury to make a decision on the case soon. Officially, nothing is known about the schedule or the details.
At the same time, investigations are also underway in the state of Georgia into Trump’s possible influence on the outcome of the 2020 presidential election. Trump presents any legal action against him as an attempt by his opponents to prevent him from returning to the White House. Rather, he uses the various procedures and allegations to mobilize his base and collect donations. He currently leads the Republican presidential contender by a wide margin.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
