Legal troubles haunt Mr. Trump

Washington [US], August 29: Prosecutors and former US President Donald Trump have made new moves in four cases against him as the presidential election draws closer.
Federal election interference case
US Special Prosecutor Jack Smith on August 27 issued an amended federal indictment alleging that former President Donald Trump illegally attempted to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. The new indictment retains four counts from the original indictment issued on August 1, 2023, but focuses on Mr. Trump's role as a political candidate for re-election, rather than as president.
Smith's move comes ahead of an August 30 deadline for his office and Trump's lawyers to propose a path forward in the election interference case following a July 1 ruling by the US Supreme Court that the president enjoys immunity from criminal prosecution for official acts during his term in office.
Federal Judge Tanya Chutkan in Washington DC is expected to rule on the case in the coming weeks based on the July 1 ruling of the US Supreme Court.
Georgia election interference case
In addition to the federal election interference case, Mr. Trump also faces a 2020 election interference case in the state of Georgia. He and eight co-defendants are accused of conspiring to illegally overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in Georgia.
The Hill reported on August 27 that Mr. Trump's legal team wants Fulton County Attorney Fani Willis removed from the case, arguing that Ms. Willis, who is black, has shown "racial animus" toward Mr. Trump. No trial date has been set for the Georgia election interference case.
The Secret Document Case
In addition to the federal election interference case, Mr. Smith on August 26 urged the appeals court to reinstate Mr. Trump's classified documents case, according to AFP. Mr. Smith's office is appealing to the appeals court after federal judge Aileen Cannon dismissed the case last month, arguing that prosecutor Smith was illegally appointed.
In the case, Mr. Trump is accused of improperly keeping classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida and obstructing efforts to retrieve them after leaving office. Mr. Trump faces 31 counts of "willful retention of national defense information ," each of which carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison.
The appeals court's timeline suggests the chances of the classified documents case being resolved before the November 5 presidential election are slim. Mr Trump's lawyers now have 30 days to respond to Mr Smith's new motion.
The hush money case
The remaining of the four cases against Mr. Trump is a hush money case. On May 30, 2024, Mr. Trump was convicted by a jury in the state of New York of falsifying business records to conceal a $130,000 payment to porn star Stormy Daniels in exchange for her silence before the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
Sentencing is scheduled for September 18, but Mr. Trump has asked New York state judge Juan Merchan to postpone the sentencing until after the election, according to Reuters. Mr. Trump's lawyers argue that they will not have enough time to properly pursue pre-sentence appeals if the judge rejects his request.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper