Trump seeks delay in classified documents trial citing busy 2024 presidential campaign

Former US President Donald Trump and his aide Walt Nauta have requested a federal court in Florida to postpone their criminal trial involving classified documents. They argued that Trump's busy campaign schedule as a potential Republican Party nominee for the 2024 presidential election makes the current trial schedule "untenable".

In a joint court filing, Trump and Nauta's attorneys wrote that Trump's presidential campaign demands a "tremendous" amount of time and energy. They stated that his campaign efforts will continue until the election on November 5, 2024. "Such preparation requires significant planning and time, making the current schedule untenable and counselling in favour of a continuance."

Prosecutors' request

Federal prosecutors had already proposed a delay of the trial from August 14 to December 11 to allow both sides more time for preparation.

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The Special Counsel's office spokesperson Jack Smith declined to comment on Trump and Nauta's request but mentioned their intent to provide a response in the upcoming days. All parties involved are scheduled to appear before US District Judge Aileen Cannon on July 18 for a pre-trial conference to discuss logistics and scheduling matters.

Legal challenges

Trump's lawyers also highlighted the "significant" legal questions and challenges posed by the unprecedented indictment and the classified nature of the evidence.

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The case will unfold under the guidelines of the Classified Information Procedures Act, which aims to safeguard classified evidence and manage its disclosure during a public jury trial.

Walt Nauta's plea

Walt Nauta, Trump's aide, recently pleaded not guilty in a Miami federal courthouse to charges of assisting Trump in concealing top-secret documents that were taken when he left the White House.

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On June 13 in Miami, Trump, the leading contender for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, pleaded not guilty in federal court.

He faces charges of unlawfully retaining classified national security documents upon leaving office in 2021 and attempting to obstruct justice during the government's retrieval process.

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