Ending the trials against Donald Trump now could be helpful: lawyer

Ending the pending lawsuits against them could go a long way Donald Trump now, according to an expert.

After winning Tuesday’s election, Trump will make history as the first convicted felon to become president following his conviction in the hush money case earlier this year.

The president-elect is also involved in three other criminal cases. But with Trump taking over the Oval Office in January, it’s unlikely another criminal conviction will be added to his roster.

It is unclear whether the existing cases will be completely deleted. But according to Joyce Vancea former U.S. attorney, there might be some merit in this.

“One benefit of ending the investigations now could be the opportunity to write some kind of report commemorating the evidence against Trump for the historical record,” Vance wrote in a blog post.

“A document of that nature, such as the Mueller report, can be made public through the ministry or through some other means Congress. In his report, Mueller stopped short of recommending charges against Trump, saying he would have no forum to respond because he could not be indicted while in office. “It is difficult to know how the Department will weigh these concerns here, now that charges have already been filed and Trump could have had his day in court but chose not to,” she added.

The Mueller report, released in 2019, details Russian efforts to influence the 2016 US presidential election in favor of Donald Trump and against Hillary Rodham Clinton. While it confirmed Russian interference, the investigation found insufficient evidence that Trump or his campaign conspired with Russia. It also did not conclude that Trump committed a crime, citing guidelines that a sitting president cannot be indicted.

Newsweek has contacted the Trump campaign via email for comment.

Vance’s recommendation comes after a special counsel hearing Jac Smithwhich Trump is prosecuting for alleged election interference and mishandling of classified documents, was granted an extension of his DC lawsuit by judge Tanya Chutkan after this week’s presidential election. Trump has denied guilt on all charges against him and claimed the cases are part of a political witch hunt.

“As a result of the election on November 5, 2024, it is expected that the defendant will be certified as President-elect on January 6, 2025, and inaugurated on January 20, 2025,” Smith wrote in a new court filing. “The Government respectfully requests that the Court release the remaining deadlines in the pretrial schedule so that the Government has time to assess this unprecedented circumstance and determine the appropriate course of action moving forward, in accordance with Ministry of Justice policy.”

Smith is reportedly consulting with Justice Department officials about the approach to conclude his pending criminal cases against Trump.

Trump has promised to fire Smith as special counsel when he returns to the White House in January. He was asked about the issue in an interview with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt on October 24.

“It’s so easy,” Trump said. ‘I’d fire him in two seconds. He will be one of the first things addressed.”

“In fact, he is a crooked person,” Trump added.

Legal experts told it Newsweek this week it is it is likely that Smith will resign before he is fired.

As president, Trump could also potentially pardon himself in the three remaining cases against him.

“If Trump wins, his criminal problems will disappear,” said former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani said Newsweek before the race was called.

But a report on Trump’s election fraud case would at least ensure there is a “permanent public record” of the evidence against the newly elected president, according to Vance.

“It is difficult to estimate what value such a report could have beyond the information and evidence that Smith’s lawsuits have already made public,” Vance said. wrote in an earlier blog post.

“It would at least guarantee that there would be a permanent public record that would survive Trump’s certain demand that the Justice Department end the cases against him. This is a potentially intriguing opportunity on a day that didn’t offer much optimism,” she says. added.

State and federal prosecutors had hoped to bring their respective cases against Trump to trial before Election Day, but a series of delaying tactics by his legal team — plus a Supreme Court ruling in June – resulted in only one criminal trial in Manhattan.