Prosecutors from special counsel Jack Smith’s office urged the judge overseeing the federal election interference case against Donald Trump to reject the former president’s attempts to dismiss the charges against him on constitutional grounds, saying his arguments rely on “distortions and misrepresentations.”
While Trump has repeatedly attacked the case against him on the campaign trail and in court filings, the special counsel’s court filing on Monday marks the first time prosecutors have defended their historic criminal prosecution against the former president in court.
“The defendant attempts to rewrite the indictment, claiming that it charges him with wholly innocuous, perhaps even admirable conduct—sharing his opinions about election fraud and seeking election integrity—when in fact it clearly describes the defendant’s fraudulent use of knowingly false statements as weapons in furtherance of his criminal plans,” prosecutors wrote in the filing.
“But the defendant stands alone in American history for his alleged crimes,” they wrote. “No other president has engaged in conspiracy and obstruction to overturn valid election results and illegitimately retain power.”
District Judge Tanya Chutkan, who is overseeing the case in Washington, DC, will have the ultimate say on whether the case will proceed. She has not yet made any determination on Trump’s many motions to dismiss the indictment he faces.
Trump is accused of illegally plotting to stay in office after losing the 2020 election. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him.
In late October, Trump’s attorneys filed several motions to dismiss the case, arguing the charges violated his First Amendment rights and suggested the case against the former president was part of a “selective and vindictive prosecution” against him.
Trump’s…
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