There was a new twist in the Special Counsel Jack Smith-led indictment of former President Donald Trump's as a result of an investigation into classified documents.
According to the Washington Examiner, Smith announced that Trump's trial date would be moved from August to December.
Smith also reportedly filed a number of additional requests related to Trump's case, though details of those requests were not immediately available.
While speculation was building as to why Smith made the move to push the trial date back nearly three months, others weighed in on the matter, calling it a "routine" procedure.
Yesterday's motion to move Trump documents trial date back to December is a routine procedural move that both sides agreed to -- the Govt just filed the paperwork. The Aug. date was set just to satisfy the Speedy Trial Act requirement. Now the sides will agree to "exclude time"…
— Shipwreckedcrew (@shipwreckedcrew) June 24, 2023
The Examiner noted that the trial was pushed back in order to provide Trump's legal team ample time to obtain the proper security clearances to be able to review case evidence, much of which is classified.
"Here’s the Justice Department’s reasoning as to why it wants Trump’s trial moved from August to December. Basically: Defense counsel still needs to obtain security clearance & legal process under the Classified Information Procedures Act will take time," one Twitter user wrote.
Here’s the Justice Department’s reasoning as to why it wants Trump’s trial moved from August to December.
Basically: Defense counsel still needs to obtain security clearance & legal process under the Classified Information Procedures Act will take time. pic.twitter.com/Ve6KlwSJFA
— Anna Bower (@AnnaBower) June 23, 2023
The Examiner added:
Although interim approval of security clearances should allow the defense to review most of the information, the final decision on security clearance could take between 45 and 60 days since the proper forms were submitted.
The former president faces a total of 37 charges, with some of them bringing serious prison terms if convicted and sentenced.
Trump has long argued that he did nothing illegal in his handling and storage of various classified records he took to his Florida-based Mar-a-Lago estate.
At his arraignment, Trump pleaded "not guilty" to all charges he faces.
He has also continued to publicly denounce President Joe Biden's Department of Justice and the administration for "weaponizing" the rule of law against a political opponent.
It'll be interesting to see how the trial proceeds, if it gets that far.
