Donald Trump can probably breathe a sigh of relief: on Monday, prosecutors requested that two criminal cases against the new American president be dropped. Reason: The Department of Justice takes no action against sitting presidents. This is what the Constitution requires, prosecutors said.
“The government’s position on the merits of prosecuting the suspect has not changed. But circumstances have changed,” the application letter states.
Renewal possible after term of office
The public prosecutor emphasizes that there are no substantive reasons for the decision. However, she leaves open the possibility of filing charges again once the Republican is no longer president.
The announcement of the verdict in the hush money case against Trump was recently postponed indefinitely.
The responsible US Public Prosecutor’s Office announced for the first time on Monday that it had submitted an application to halt criminal proceedings against Trump for attempted election fraud.
Procedure 1: Attempted election fraud
Trump was charged at the federal level in Washington in connection with attempted election fraud and the storming of the US Capitol on January 6, 2021. These were the most serious charges against the 78-year-old. If convicted, he would have spent decades in prison.
Special counsel Jack Smith reviewed the charges in the summer after the Supreme Court granted US presidents broad immunity from official acts.
Proceedings 2: Documentation affair
Trump also gets away with a second trial: the investigation into the document affair was also stopped. The FBI searched his Mar-a-Lago property two years ago and seized numerous classified documents from his time in office – some of which were top-class.
Trump spoke of a ‘witch hunt’
The Justice Department probably beat Trump to the punch with this decision. Because the proceedings are taking place at the federal level, Trump would likely have stopped the investigation after taking office and ordered the Justice Department to close the proceedings. Trump has always described the investigations against him as political persecution and spoke of a “witch hunt.” Experts also believe it is possible that Trump could pardon himself once in office.
Trump faced multiple criminal charges after his first term. In addition to the proceedings in Washington, he was accused in the US state of Florida of illegally storing highly sensitive information from his term as president in private rooms. The judiciary also took action against him in New York and Georgia. It once looked like Trump would spend much of the election year in court over the numerous investigations against him. But through legal maneuvers, Trump’s lawyers managed to block the proceedings.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
