Share this @internewscast.com

WASHINGTON — Former President Donald Trump plans to use prosecutors’ words in criminal cases against his fellow Jan. 6 defendants to undermine the special counsel’s case against him, according to court filings submitted late Monday.

The filings from Trump’s attorneys come ahead of the first of his four pending criminal cases to go trial, with jury selection scheduled to begin in just over three months, on March 4.

Trump’s lawyers pointed to prosecutors’ words in other Jan. 6 cases in which defendants tried to blame Trump for their actions that day, saying that prosecutors’ responses to those claims undermined the government’s current argument that Trump shares responsibility for what happened.

“Prosecutors from the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia (“USAO-DC”) repeatedly took positions in public that are inconsistent with the Special Counsel’s new contention,” Trump’s attorneys wrote in a filing late Monday.

In a discovery letter sent over Thanksgiving weekend, the special counsel’s staff said they disagreed with the position laid out by Trump’s team.

“The Department’s position in other January 6 cases that the defendant’s actions did not absolve any individual rioter of responsibility for that rioter’s actions — even if the rioter took them at the defendant’s direction — is in no way inconsistent with the indictment’s allegations here,” they wrote.

The filings also suggest that Trump’s team plans to argue that the former president actually believed his debunked claims about the 2020 presidential election. If Trump genuinely believed his own false claims that the election was stolen, his attorneys could argue, then he lacked the criminal intent required for a jury to find him guilty.

“It was not unreasonable at the time, and certainly not criminal, for President Trump to disagree with officials now favored by the prosecution and to rely instead on the independent judgment that the American people elected him to use while leading the country,” Trump’s lawyers wrote.

As members of Congress and prominent right-wing figures use video to promote the false conspiracy theory that undercover operatives were pushing the violence on Jan. 6, Trump’s team also said they were “entitled to all information regarding undercover agents and individuals acting at the direction of official authorities at the Capitol on January 6.”

The special counsel’s office, Trump’s team wrote, “cannot contend that President Trump is ‘responsible’ for January 6 while suppressing public and private statements to the contrary by other prosecutors and officials during prior cases, information relating to security measures that informed President Trump’s remarks and assessment of the situation, and instances of undercovers and informants who infiltrated the crowd on that day.”

Special counsel Jack Smith’s team, in their letter over the weekend, said that Trump’s requests “regarding the pipe bomb investigation, offers of immunity to January 6 defendants, ‘Antifa,’ sources, and various named and unnamed January 6 offenders” appear “to be focused on others’ actions related to the January 6 attack on the Capitol” and often exceeded the scope of their discovery obligations, or referenced materials not in the possession of the special counsel team.

“To the extent that we possess any such materials, we have produced them to you,” they wrote.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
Chicago immigration activity: Federal agents detain worker in Old Irving Park, appear to use tear gas; fear disrupts local parade

Federal Agents Detain Worker in Old Irving Park, Tear Gas Suspected; Local Parade Plunged into Chaos in Chicago

CHICAGO (WLS) — On Saturday, federal agents were once again active on…
30 California District Attorneys Are a Hard NO on Prop. 50, Gavin Newsom's Gerrymandering Scheme

AAG Dhillon Calms Tensions with Governor Newsom Over DOJ Election Monitoring Plans

The Department of Justice has announced plans to deploy election monitors to…
Chicago volunteers collecting food at El Pollo Cris Cris on SW Side for those in need amid high prices, looming SNAP benefits halt

Local Volunteers Rally at El Pollo Cris Cris to Support Families Facing Rising Costs and SNAP Uncertainty

CHICAGO — As inflation continues to push prices skyward, many families are…
Chicago shootings this weekend: At least 10 shot, 2 fatally, in gun violence across city, police department says

Authorities Determine Teen’s ‘Gel Blaster’ Shooting in Skokie’s Shawnee Park as Antisemitic Hate Crime: Police Report

In SKOKIE, Illinois, local authorities have determined that a teenager’s use of…
The Beatles' Ringo Starr, 85, on reuniting with Paul McCartney, the mantra he lives by and what he said to Prince William

Ringo Starr, 85, Shares Insights on Reuniting with Paul McCartney, His Life’s Mantra, and a Memorable Exchange with Prince William

LOS ANGELES — Ringo Starr, the iconic drummer of The Beatles, is…
SNAP benefits November: Donald Trump admin. won't tap contingency fund for food aid amid government shutdown 2025, memo says

Trump Administration Withholds SNAP Contingency Funds During 2025 Government Shutdown, Memo Reveals

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration has decided against using approximately $5 billion…
Freed Gaza Prisoner Reveals “Hell Beneath the Ground”

Inside Gaza’s Underground Nightmare: A Former Detainee’s Harrowing Tale

A recently freed Palestinian detainee has delivered devastating testimony detailing what he…
Rubio says commitment to Taiwan won't change amid trade talks with China

Rubio Affirms Unwavering Support for Taiwan Despite Ongoing China Trade Discussions

On Sunday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio reaffirmed the United States’ enduring…
Melodee Buzzard disappearance: New surveillance photos show missing California girl, 9, in possible disguise

New Surveillance Images Suggest Possible Disguise in Case of Missing 9-Year-Old Melodee Buzzard in California

On Friday, California authorities unveiled new surveillance footage in the ongoing search…
Company recalls 2 million pounds of barbecue pork jerky that may contain metal wire

Urgent Recall: 2 Million Pounds of BBQ Pork Jerky Pulled from Shelves Over Metal Wire Contamination Concerns

A South Dakota-based company has issued a recall for over 2.2 million…
Chicago CTA riders deal with weekend work halting trains on elevated Loop tracks on Brown, Green, Orange and Pink lines

Weekend CTA Maintenance Disrupts Brown, Green, Orange, and Pink Line Services in Chicago’s Loop

In an unexpected twist for many Chicago commuters, the CTA announced a…
Carjacking victim arrested after allegedly shooting boy breaking into his car during Atlanta confrontation

Atlanta Carjacking Twist: Victim Faces Charges After Shooting Alleged Teenage Thief

An Atlanta man found himself in handcuffs after allegedly shooting a teenager…