New York Attorney General Letitia James said on Tuesday that she expects state-level cases against Donald Trump to be “adjourned” as the federal prosecution against the former president plays out, increasing the prospect for high-profile investigations to stretch deep into the 2024 election season and possibly beyond.
During an interview for the Pod Save America, James predicted the scheduling of special counsel Jack Smith’s documents case would push back her fraud lawsuit against Trump and his business empire, as well as the criminal cases brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and Georgia’s Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis.
“In all likelihood, I believe that my case, as well as DA Bragg and the Georgia case, will unfortunately have to be adjourned pending the outcome of the federal case,” James said. “So it all depends upon the scheduling of this particular case.”
NEW: "In all likelihood, I believe that my case [against former President Trump], as well as DA Bragg and the Georgia case, will unfortunately have to be adjourned pending the outcome of the federal case." —@NewYorkStateAG Letitia James pic.twitter.com/y9XTziJUZN
— Pod Save America (@PodSaveAmerica) June 13, 2023
The comments were posted to Twitter in the hours before Trump is expected to appear in a Miami federal courtroom to be arraigned following a grand jury indictment that resulted from Smith’s investigation into the former president’s handling of classified documents after leaving office. Trump faces 31 alleged violations of the Espionage Act for “willful retention” of national defense information as well as counts related to obstruction of justice and false statements. Smith said last week his team would “seek a speedy trial” in that case.
James also said she thinks “everyone is concerned” about the appointment of U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump nominee, to oversee the documents case, noting that her rulings could dictate the pace of the trial.
Some legal experts have called on Cannon to recuse herself while citing past rulings tied to the documents matter, particularly one in favor of Trump’s request for a special master to weed out privileged materials the FBI seized from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, which got overturned by a federal appeals court.
Trump has already been criminally charged in a hush-money case brought by Bragg, and a trial has been scheduled for March. Trump may also face charges more charges this summer from the inquiry run by Willis, who is investigating his conduct in relation to the 2020 election. A trial has been set for October in the $250 million lawsuit James brought against Trump, members of his family, and the Trump Organization.
Pete Skandalakis, director of the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia, cast doubt upon the assertion that the documents case could disrupt the scheduling of others. Though he noted some exceptions that could lead to a pause, Skandalakis said his research staffers have found “no law that gives the federal government the ability to go first,” according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Trump broadly denies any wrongdoing, claiming he is being subject to a “witch hunt” as he runs again for the presidency in 2024. Trump is expected to deliver remarks Tuesday evening after traveling to his club in Bedminster, New Jersey, following his arraignment.
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