Special counsel tells court he is reviewing future of Trump criminal case

CNN
—

Special counsel Jack Smith could make a decision by Dec. 2 on how to resolve Donald Trump's criminal case related to the events of the 2020 election, he told a federal judge Friday.

He asked Federal District Judge Tanya Chutkan to scrap any upcoming deadlines so his office can assess what to do next if Trump becomes president again. Chutkan granted the request.

This is the first step by which Smith publicly indicates that he is preparing to drop the case against Trump.

CNN has reported that the special counsel has already been in active discussions with senior Justice Department officials about how to handle the case.

“As a result of the November 5, 2024 election, the defendant is expected to be confirmed as President-elect on January 6, 2025 and inaugurated on January 20, 2025. “The government respectfully requests that the court waive the remaining time limits in the pretrial schedule to allow the government time to evaluate this unprecedented circumstance and determine the appropriate path forward consistent with Department of Justice policy,” prosecutors said in a one-page statement File.

“By December 2, 2024, the government will file a status report or otherwise inform the court of the outcome of its deliberations,” they added.

House Republicans are officially announcing Smith now that Trump is returning to the White House and Republicans have a chance to retain their majority in the House.

House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan and Republican Rep. Barry Loudermilk, who is leading the Jan. 6 investigation into the former committee, sent a letter to Smith asking him to preserve his records and comply with their earlier demands .

Trump has repeatedly said he plans to fire Smith and drop federal cases against him for attempting to overturn the 2020 presidential election and improperly handling confidential documents.

CNN's Annie Grayer contributed to this report.

This story has been updated with additional developments.