As the 2024 election nears, Donald Trump’s legal team is back in court, urging Judge Tanya Chutkan to keep any further evidence in his criminal case involving election interference sealed until voters head to the polls. In a court filing submitted on Thursday, Trump’s lawyers requested that additional evidence be withheld from the public to avoid influencing the election outcome.
This isn’t the first time Trump has tried this strategy. Politico reporter Kyle Cheney noted on X (formerly Twitter) that similar attempts had not convinced Judge Chutkan in the past. Nevertheless, Trump’s legal team continues to argue that releasing more evidence now could unfairly impact his presidential campaign.
Over the past months, Trump has filed numerous motions and appeals to delay his legal proceedings, with some success. All but one trial—the New York City hush-money case, where he was convicted—have been postponed until after the election. Trump’s efforts to push back these trials illustrate his strategy of avoiding courtroom battles during a critical campaign period.
Despite Trump’s claims that his prosecution during the election cycle is unprecedented, a CNN fact check revealed that there is no Justice Department rule prohibiting a candidate from being prosecuted while campaigning. Three former federal prosecutors confirmed to CNN that no regulation exists to shield candidates under investigation from prosecution during their election campaigns.
The Justice Department’s policy, in fact, states the opposite: no federal prosecutors or agents can manipulate the timing of investigative actions, criminal charges, or public statements to influence an election or favor any candidate or party. This policy aims to ensure that legal actions remain impartial and do not interfere with the democratic process.
Trump’s ongoing legal battles and his attempts to delay proceedings highlight the complex intersection between politics and the judicial system as the 2024 election approaches. With Judge Chutkan previously unswayed by his arguments, the former president’s legal strategy may face more hurdles as he continues to fight both in court and on the campaign trail. Whether the judge will agree to Trump’s latest request remains uncertain, but the decision could have significant implications for his campaign and the transparency of his criminal case.