October 4, 2024
On proper procedure...
Today’s link is an easy one. On Wednesday, Jack Smith released, with Judge Chutkan’s approval, his filing disputing Trump’s claim of immunity from prosecution over January 6th. In the document, he lays out a number of accusation and new accounts from the day that could be damaging to Donald Trump. The news-media is eating the stories up, which is understandable. They are newsworthy. And yet…
This is not the proper sequence of events for releasing a document like this. Some reporting has mentioned this, but more as a side detail. According to today’s columnist, it isn’t a side detail. It’s the story, and he’s incandescent about it. He asks how Smith or Chutkan can deny accusations of election interference when this document, true or not, should still be under seal? How can the judge be trusted to give the defendant a fair trial after a ruling like this? They’re fair questions.
It should be noted the author of today’s column is no fan of Donald Trump. He wrote a book about how rich and powerful people manipulate the legal system — Donald Trump has more than one chapter. But the author believes in the legal system. He believes it should be as fair as possible to all. And he believes that includes Donald Trump, whatever one thinks of him.
Whether you agree with the author or not, I’d encourage you to read the link. He doesn’t bend his beliefs based on party. Those columnists and pundits are rare, and they deserve the biggest audience they can get.