(NationRise.com) – Former president Donald Trump’s defense team could soon get a big boost in his classified documents case.
Michael Mukasey and Edwin Meese III, two prominent former attorneys general of the United States, have submitted court filings expressing their intentions to testify in Trump’s favor when the case goes to trial.
Both want to argue on June 21st to have the charges dismissed over claims that Jack Smith was appointed special counsel unlawfully. Gary Lawson and Steven Calabresi, both law professors, agreed to join the pair in fending Trump. Mukasey, 82, served as attorney general after he was sworn in by former president George W. Bush in 2007. Meese, 92, served as attorney general under Ronald Reagan’s administration in 1985. Lawson and Calabresi founded The Federalist Society, a conservative think-tank.
Trump maintains his innocent plea and claims the charges are just a political attack ahead of the 2024 elections. He is facing 40 total charges related to the alleged mishandling of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate. Both Meese and Mukasey believe the Biden administration’s attorney general, Merrick Garland, lacked the power to appoint Smith as special counsel.
However, they may never get a chance to testify. Judge Aileen Cannon, who was appointed by Trump, has suspended the trial indefinitely. She has accused Smith of filing the charges “hastily” and claimed they lacked any real substance. She also said that she must first clear her backlog, which is currently filled with pretrial disputes and other issues stemming from the case.
Tensions remain high between Cannon and Smith. He is accusing her of intentionally delaying proceedings to benefit Trump, while she hints at his charges being politically motivated.
Trump could face a lengthy sentence if convicted. However, legal experts think that’s unlikely to happen. They also believe that he likely won’t face jail time after his recent business fraud conviction. Sentencing for that conviction has been scheduled for July 11th, although his legal team has promised to appeal the ruling.
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