Donald Trump's legal team filed a notice with the federal district court for the District of Columbia on Thursday, appealing Judge Tanya Chutkan's order that shot down his request to dismiss the charges against him in the Washington, D.C. election-subversion case. In his initial request, Trump argued that he couldn't be charged for actions he took within the "outer perimeter" of his official duties as president, to which Chutkan ruled that the Constitution’s text, structure, and history "do not support that contention." But he's not letting it go.
According to The Messenger, Trump's attorneys also filed a motion to pause the proceedings in the case "pending the final resolution of his recently filed appeal," requesting that Chutkan rule on the matter within 7 days. As the outlet points out, "If granted, a pause of proceedings in the case could have major legal and political implications for Trump as he mounts his bid to return to the White House." As of now, Chutkan is set to preside over Trump's trial starting in early March 2024, but the former president's team has signaled that they're prepared to appeal an adverse ruling in their latest effort all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.
"The goal is clear: prevent this case from making it to trial before the election," national security lawyer Brad Moss said in a post on X.
