The so-called hush-money case that Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg (D) has brought against former President Donald Trump has been delayed. 

The Associated Press reports that, on Friday, Judge Juan Manuel Merchan, the judge overseeing the case, made the decision to put the case on hold.

This will push the case back by several weeks.

Read on to see why this is another significant win for Trump - and defeat for Bragg and the Democrats.

Why the delay?

Reuters provides the relevant background on this case.

Per the outlet:

Trump has pleaded not guilty in the New York case to 34 counts of falsifying business records to hide his former lawyer Michael Cohen's $130,000 payment to porn star Stormy Daniels for her silence about a sexual encounter she has said they had a decade earlier. Trump has denied having had any such encounter with Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford.

It was Trump's legal team that recently requested that the trial be delayed.

The request was made, according to the Associated Press, after Bragg dumped a huge amount of "evidence" - over 100,000 pages of documents - on Trump's defense team. Trump's legal team told the judge that they need more time to sift through the evidence to properly prepare their defense of Trump.

Merchan agreed. The trial was supposed to begin on March 25. But, now, it will not start until at least April 15.

Here's why the delay is a big deal:

Bragg is one of several Democratic prosecutors who is looking to get a criminal conviction of Trump before the 2024 presidential election. The purpose of such a conviction is obvious - it is to hurt Trump, the Republican Party's presidential nominee, in the general election.

The longer the case gets delayed the less likely it is that these Democratic prosecutors will get this coveted conviction of Trump.

As Reuters put it, "Justice Juan Merchan's decision to delay the first-ever criminal trial of a former U.S. president marks another victory for Trump, who has sought to slow down proceedings in his various legal entanglements as he prepares to challenge President Joe Biden in the Nov. 5 U.S. election."

Trump responded to Merchan's ruling on social media, through spokesperson Steven Cheung.

Cheung said:

President Trump and his counsel have been consistent and steadfast that this case has no basis in law or fact, and should be dismissed. Today, after conceding serious discovery violations by his office, the Manhattan DA agreed to an adjournment. We will continue to fight to end this Hoax, and all of the other Crooked Joe Biden - directed Witch Hunts, once and for all.

Billionaire Elon Musk has declared that "CNN is dying." 

Musk, according to Fox News, did so this past week, after he canceled X's partnership with Don Lemon.

The outlet reports:

X owner Elon Musk declared "CNN is dying" this week during a social media spat with former host Don Lemon, fueling questions about whether the network's years-long struggle to attract viewers means it's on life support.

Musk, as will be demonstrated, definitely has a point here, and, if CNN is dying, then so are its stars, including Anderson Cooper, Chris Wallace, Wolf Blitzer, and all the rest. In fact, their days really could be numbered.

"Lowest rated year of all time"

It is no secret that CNN is really struggling these days. According to Fox, 2023, was CNN's "lowest-rated year of all time."

The outlet reports, "In 2023, CNN had its lowest-rated year of all time, going back more than three decades, across multiple categories. CNN averaged only 582,000 primetime viewers to finish No. 12 among cable networks, with a smaller audience than networks such as TLC, Hallmark, and HGTV."

CNN is under new management, but things do not really seem to be improving. Now, State of the Union reports that new CNN CEO Mark Thompson is looking to make some significant changes.

Per the outlet:

According to reports, CNN’s new CEO Mark Thompson is planning significant cuts and changes at the network to address falling ratings, potentially putting several high profile anchors on the “chopping block.”

The "high profile anchors" who are at risk could reportedly include Anderson Cooper, Chris Wallace, Wolf Blitzer, and Jake Tapper.

The Musk-Lemon spat

Musk's declaration - that "CNN is dying" - came after a recent "spat" with Deon Lemon. The spat was actually an interview of Musk conducted by Lemon that went really wrong.

Musk, during the interview, appeared to take particular exception to some of the questions that Lemon asked him, and things got combative, to say the least.

The spat ended with Musk canceling X's partnership with Lemon.

Musk, afterward, defended his decision, writing:

[Lemon's] approach was basically just "CNN, but on social media", which doesn’t work, as evidenced by the fact that CNN is dying. And, instead of it being the real Don Lemon, it was really just Jeff Zucker talking through Don, so lacked authenticity. All this said, Lemon/Zucker are of course welcome to build their viewership on this platform along with everyone else.

Lemon has since threatened to take Musk to court if Musk does not pay Lemon for their deal.

Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO), who represents Colorado's competitive 3rd District, made plans to run this year in the state's solidly Republican 4th District represented by Rep. Ken Buck (R-CO) after Buck announced last year that he would not seek re-election and was widely presumed to serve out the remainder of his current term before retiring.

Boebert's plan was just upended, or at least made substantially more difficult and risky, by Buck's abrupt decision to resign early, which triggered a special election to fill his seat that the congresswoman can't run in and win without also resigning her current seat, according to Fox News.

In addition to upsetting Boebert's plans and potentially ending her congressional career, Buck's surprise revelation this week appears to have caught House Republican leadership, including Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), entirely off guard and unaware.

Buck bows out earlier than expected, triggers special election to fill vacancy

Rep. Buck, who first announced in November that he would not seek re-election, revealed in a Tuesday announcement that he now planned to "depart Congress at the end of next week" rather than serve out the remainder of his term.

That same day, Democratic Colorado Gov. Jared Polis issued a statement that praised the outgoing Republican congressman for his "years of public service," wished him well in his unspecified "next chapter," and set a date of June 25 -- the same date as the state's primary elections -- for a special election to fill the 4th District's impending vacancy.

"To ensure that Colorado has the representation we deserve in Congress, and to minimize taxpayer cost, I plan to take swift action to set the date of the special election to fill the vacancy created by Ken Buck’s resignation to align with Colorado’s primary on June 25th," the governor explained.

Boebert furious at stymied plans, reveals she won't run in special election

Needless to say, that development frustrated and infuriated Rep. Boebert, who asserted in a fiery X post on Wednesday, "Ken Buck’s announcement yesterday was a gift to the uniparty. The establishment concocted a swampy backroom deal to try to rig an election I’m winning by 25 points."

"Forcing an unnecessary Special Election on the same day as the Primary Election will confuse voters, result in a lameduck Congressman on day one, and leave the 4th District with no representation for more than three months. The 4th District deserves better," she continued.

"I will not further imperil the already very slim House Republican majority by resigning my current seat and will continue to deliver on my constituents’ priorities while also working hard to earn the votes of the people of Colorado’s 4th District who have made clear they are hungry for a real conservative," Boebert added. "I am the only Trump-endorsed, America First candidate in this race and will win the 4th District’s Primary Election on June 25th and General Election on November 5th."

Boebert's point about 4th District voters being confused by the dual election on June 25 is valid, as is her annoyance over the scheduling of the special election, given that she'd have to vacate her current seat -- which would possibly be picked up by a Democrat in a subsequent special election -- if she were to run and win.

House GOP leadership caught by surprise by Buck's early resignation

Newsweek reported that Speaker Johnson and other House Republican leaders were "blindsided" by Rep. Buck's unexpected early resignation -- which reduces the already slim majority to 218-213, meaning the GOP can only lose two votes and still pass legislation -- though a spokesman for Buck insisted that the outgoing congressman left Johnson a voicemail and spoke with House GOP Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN) shortly before he made the announcement.

Newsmax reported that Johnson told reporters, "I was surprised by Ken's announcement. I'm looking forward to talking to him about that. I didn't know."

According to Axios, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) was also caught by surprise by Buck's abrupt resignation, and similarly told reporters, "I haven't gotten to talk to him. He wasn't on the floor but I'm curious to see why he's leaving early."

The outlet further quoted several other House Republicans who largely lamented the further diminishment of their slim majority, but also included a cryptic comment from Buck that suggested more early resignations could be forthcoming, as when asked if he was "facing heat" over his decision from GOP colleagues, Buck replied, "I think it's the next three people that leave that they're going to be worried about."

Rep. Ken Buck (R-CO) announced in November that he would not seek re-election in Colorado's 4th District, with the logical presumption being that he would serve out the remainder of his term before retiring, but he then surprised everyone by announcing on Wednesday that he would resign early from his seat in Congress next week.

That triggered a special election in June that, in the view of some, was purposefully intended to hamper the political future of the 3rd District's Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO), who previously planned to run as Buck's replacement in the 4th District but won't participate in the special election, according to the New York Post.

If Boebert were to run in and win the 4th District's special election, she would be forced to resign her 3rd District seat, setting up another vacancy and special election that might be won by a Democratic candidate, further decreasing the already slim House majority that Republicans currently maintain.

Buck announces unexpected resignation, triggers special election paired with primary to fill vacancy

Rep. Buck on Tuesday announced that, rather than continue serving until the end of the current term, he would resign early and "depart Congress at the end of next week."

Though he has not revealed his future plans, the Post noted that rumors indicate the moderate Republican has lined up a job as an on-air commentator for CNN -- likely as one who will be outspoken in his criticisms of former President Donald Trump and his supposed fellow GOP colleagues in Congress.

Buck's announcement prompted the release of a statement from Democratic Colorado Gov. Jared Polis that thanked the congressman for his "years of public service" and revealed a plan to fill the vacancy with a special election.

"To ensure that Colorado has the representation we deserve in Congress, and to minimize taxpayer cost, I plan to take swift action to set the date of the special election to fill the vacancy created by Ken Buck’s resignation to align with Colorado’s primary on June 25th," the governor said.

Boebert is not pleased with Buck's sudden resignation

To say this move from Rep. Buck disrupted Rep. Boebert's plans would be an understatement, and her fury at the unexpected development was evident in an X post on Wednesday.

"Ken Buck’s announcement yesterday was a gift to the uniparty," Boebert wrote. "The establishment concocted a swampy backroom deal to try to rig an election I’m winning by 25 points."

"Forcing an unnecessary Special Election on the same day as the Primary Election will confuse voters, result in a lameduck Congressman on day one, and leave the 4th District with no representation for more than three months. The 4th District deserves better," she continued.

Boebert declared, "I will not further imperil the already very slim House Republican majority by resigning my current seat and will continue to deliver on my constituents’ priorities while also working hard to earn the votes of the people of Colorado’s 4th District who have made clear they are hungry for a real conservative."

"I am the only Trump-endorsed, America First candidate in this race and will win the 4th District’s Primary Election on June 25th and General Election on November 5th," the outspoken pro-Trump congresswoman added.

Confusing double election for 4th District voters could result in Boebert being out of a job

According to Colorado Newsline, the combination of the 4th District special election and primary election on the same day will prove confusing for many voters, as it remains unclear right now which of the nine Republican candidates who were already running in the primary to replace Rep. Buck, if any of them, will also be the GOP nominee in the special election.

Given how solidly red the 4th District is, compared to the more competitive nature of the 3rd District after the last round of redistricting, whoever ultimately wins the special election will have an incumbency boost over any other competitors when the general election is held in November, and while it remains possible that Rep. Boebert will win both the primary and the general, it is also plausible that she won't win that primary and then be forced out of a job in Congress next year.

Ukraine appears to have won a minor victory on Tuesday in its ongoing war against Russia, albeit most likely by accident and because of any direct action.

A Russian IL-76 military transport jet reportedly crashed shortly after taking off from a western Russian air base, killing all 15 people reported to have been on board, according to the Associated Press.

Local reports indicate that the crash occurred after one of the aircraft's engines caught on fire, and alleged cellphone video footage of the incident circulating on social media would appear to confirm those reports.

Russian military transport jet crash caught on video

The Moscow Times reported that the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement, "At about 1:00 p.m. Moscow time, an IL-76 military transport aircraft crashed during takeoff for a scheduled flight in the Ivanovo region."

"According to reports from the scene, the cause of the disaster was a fire in one of the engines during takeoff of the aircraft," the ministry added.

That seems to match with alleged footage of the incident on social media, which shows the large four-engine military transport jet descending rapidly with flames and smoke trailing from at least one of those engines before a massive cloud of black smoke billowed up from the crash site beyond the horizon.

An Il-76 Transport Aircraft with the Russian Air Force has reportedly Crashed to the North of Moscow in the Ivanovo Region, after an Engine Malfunction occurred shortly after Takeoff from Severny Airfield; 8 Crewmembers and 7 Passengers are said to have been Killed in the Crash. pic.twitter.com/fdol55gkZA

— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) March 12, 2024

All 15 crew and passengers on board suspected to be dead

The Moscow Times noted that though the ministry declined to confirm whether there were any casualties, other Russian media outlets quoted senior unnamed officials as saying that there were no anticipated survivors and it was believed that all 15 individuals on board, including eight crew members and seven passengers, were killed in the crash.

The AP reported that Ivanovo Gov. Stanislav Voskresensky issued a statement expressing his condolences to the families of the victims, and while it was suspected that everybody on board was dead, the governor noted that there were no reports of any major damage on the ground.

A team of investigators was reportedly dispatched to the crash site, and while mechanical failure seems to be the most likely culprit for the accident, the possibility of a Ukrainian drone attack -- which has occurred previously in and around Moscow and military bases deep inside Russia -- can't be entirely ruled out.

Second Russian IL-76 crash in less than two months

This presumptively fatal incident comes less than two months after another Russian IL-76 military transport jet, purportedly carrying several dozen Ukrainian prisoners of war, crashed with no survivors in the Belgorod border region near Ukraine in January, according to a Breitbart report at the time.

Russia claimed that Ukraine had shot down the transport plane carrying 65 Ukrainian POWs plus six crew members and three "escorts," killing everyone on board.

Ukraine, meanwhile, neither confirmed nor denied its alleged anti-aircraft fire to bring down the jet, but insisted that it had been carrying a load of surface-to-air missiles instead of POWs.

The Ukraine-Russia conflict, now more than two years old, has seemingly been stuck in a protracted and bloody stalemate for some time now as the front lines have largely stabilized, little territory has been gained or lost in offensives launched at great expense, and the casualty numbers on both sides continue to increase dramatically.

Malachy McCourt, a famed Irish-American actor and author and barkeep, who was born in Brooklyn, New York, but raised in poverty in the Irish town of Limerick, passed away on Monday at the age of 92, according to Ireland's Live95.

His death in a Manhattan hospital was confirmed to The New York Times by his wife Diana Huchthausen Galin, whom he married in 1965, and the newspaper reported that McCourt had revealed last year that he'd been suffering from a heart condition, muscular degeneration, and multiple forms of cancer.

Yet, in that 2023 interview with The Times, McCourt had said, "Every day I wake up at 91, I am happy without a coffin over my head," and observed, "I don’t know where I’m going, but I do know from whence I came. I’m a New Yorker, born, half-bred and bred, who outlived my brothers and closest friends," but still cherished the "great love" of his life, his wife Diana.

Renowned actor, bar owner, and storyteller

Deadline reported that McCourt was born in New York in 1931 to father Malachy, a former member of the Irish Republican Army, and mother Angela, who raised McCourt and his several siblings in poverty in Limerick after their abusive and alcoholic father abandoned the family, and who was immortalized by Pulitzer Prize-winning brother Frank McCourt's memoir "Angela's Ashes."

With help from his brother Frank, McCourt returned to New York at age 20 and worked a variety of odd jobs, including opening his own eponymous Irish pub in Manhattan in the 1950s, before eventually launching a career as an actor.

According to his IMDb page, McCourt was credited with at least 70 acting appearances, most of which were bit parts in films and TV series, as far back as 1959.

He is perhaps best known for his recurring role as the bartender in 217 episodes of the "Ryan's Hope" TV series from 1975-1989, and more recently as Father Clarence in nine episodes of "All My Children" from 1992-2009.

McCourt also penned two memoirs of his own, "A Monk Swimming" in 1998 and "Singing My Him Song" in 2000, the first of which shared a humorous take on his impoverished upbringing in Limerick and whiskey-fueled antics as a youngster while the second provided a more sober accounting of his post-alcohol life as a father and husband.

He also dabbled in politics later in life, including a failed longshot run as the Green Party candidate to be the governor of New York in 2006 -- a race he lost in lopsided fashion to Democratic candidate Eliot Spitzer.

Survived by his beloved wife, children, and grandchildren

The New York Times reported that McCourt was first married to Linda Wachsman, with whom he had two children -- daughter Siobhan and son Malachy Jr. -- though that marriage ended in divorce a short time later.

He was eventually married again in 1965 to Diana, with whom he'd had a years-long "on-again, off-again, on-again love affair," and she bore him two sons -- Conor and Cormac -- and brought into the mix a daughter of her own from a previous marriage named Nina Galin.

Malachy and Diana ultimately lived together in the same Manhattan apartment for 59 years. According to Variety, McCourt is survived by his wife Diana, his four children and stepdaughter, plus nine grandchildren and one grandchild.

Had previously been released from hospice care for "not dying quickly enough"

According to The Times, McCourt's poor health in his later years had resulted in him being placed in hospice care, though he was later released in 2022 for, as the paper rather wryly noted, "not dying quickly enough."

There is no word yet on any sort of funeral arrangements or memorial service for the beloved actor, bar owner, and storyteller, though fans of his words and work will undoubtedly be anxious to hear of any such plans.

Former President Donald Trump appears to have installed yet another ally at the Republican National Convention (RNC).

Axios reports that the RNC's new leadership, which was hand-picked by Trump, has now selected Sean Carncross to play a major role at the organization.

Per the outlet:

Former President Trump's new team at the Republican National Committee has tapped former RNC executive Sean Cairncross to help run the party's operations and watch its spending in the run-up to the November election, two people familiar with the move tell Axios.

This is likely to be a major change for the committee.

The details

Ronna McDaniel was recently removed from the RNC chair, after facing significant criticism about how she was running things. Among other criticisms, McDaniel was accused of excessive spending.

There is little doubt that Cairncross is being brought in to rectify the situation. He, according to Axios, "is a lawyer with a reputation of enforcing financial discipline — someone who can 'watch the money.'"

It appears that Cairncross was selected for the position by Chris LaCivita, who is a major player for Trump.

Currently, LaCivita is the co-campaign manager for Trump's 2024 presidential campaign, and he has also been selected to be the chief operating officer of the RNC.

At the RNC, Cairncross will be working directly under LaCivita.

The takeover is complete

Last week, the RNC agreed to fill its vacant leadership position - which resulted from the resignation of McDaniel - with Trump's hand-picked choices.

This includes Michael Whatley, the head of North Carolina's Republican Party - who is going to be the RNC's new chairman - and Lara Trump, former President Trump's daughter-in-law - who is going to be the RNC's co-chair. In addition to this, it was announced that LaCivita is going to be the RNC's chief operating officer.

This is all a rather long-winded way of saying that Trump has essentially completed his takeover of the RNC.

This has even been acknowledged by the Associate Press, which, last week, reported:

The Republican National Committee voted Friday to install Donald Trump’s handpicked leadership team, completing his takeover of the national party as the former president closes in on a third straight presidential nomination.

Whatley and the others have all vowed to make getting Trump elected in the 2024 election the RNC's top priority for this year. Whatley said:

The RNC is going to be the vanguard of a movement that will work tirelessly every single day to elect our nominee, Donald J. Trump, as the 47th President of the United States.

Steve Lawrence, the award-winning actor who was especially known for his stage performances, has died at the age of 88. 

Susan DeBow, Lawrence's publicist, announced the actor's death in a statement that she released on behalf of his family, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Lawrence, according to DeBow, died in Los Angeles, California, on Thursday, March 7, 2024.

DeBow indicated that the cause of Lawrence's death was complications from Alzheimer's disease.

Who was Steve Lawrence?

Lawrence was an actor and singer who was especially known for his stage appearances, where he often appeared along with his late wife, Eydie Gorme.

The Associated Press reports, "Lawrence and Gorme — or Steve & Eydie — were known for their frequent appearances on talk shows, in night clubs and on the stages of Las Vegas. The duo took inspiration from George Gershwin, Cole Porter, Jerome Kern, and other songwriters."

Both Lawrence and Gorme, however, also had tremendously successful solo careers.

NPR reports:

Lawrence scored first in 1962 with the achingly romantic ballad "Go Away Little Girl," written by the Brill Building songwriting team of Gerry Goffin and Carole King. Gorme matched his success the following year with "Blame It on the Bossa Nova," a bouncy tune about a dance craze of the time that was written by Brill hitmakers Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil.

Lawrence, when not on the stage, also made several television appearances, including on Steve Allen's television show, which eventually became NBC's Tonight. 

"I considered him family"

Many have taken to social media to pay tribute to Lawrence, including actress Carol Burnett, a friend of Lawrence who also collaborated with him from time to time.

"Steve was one of my favorite guests on my variety show, appearing 39 times. He was also my very close friend … so close that I considered him family. He will always be in my heart," Burnett said.

Lawrence's son, David Lawrence - who himself is a composer and performer - has released his own statement on his father's passing.

David told Deadline:

My Dad was an inspiration to so many people. But, to me, he was just this charming, handsome, hysterically funny guy who sang a lot. Sometimes alone and sometimes with his insanely talented wife. I am so lucky to have had him as a father and so proud to be his son. My hope is that his contributions to the entertainment industry will be remembered for many years to come.

Lawrence, according to People Magazine, "is survived by his son, David, daughter-in-law, Faye, granddaughter, Mabel, brother, Bernie, and many extended family members."

U.S. Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA), the current speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, recently disclosed a shocking revelation that President Joe Biden allegedly made to him about the southern border crisis. 

Johnson did so multiple times this past week, including during an appearance Friday on the Fox News Channel's America's Newsroom. 

Biden: "Well, Mexico . . ."

During his Fox appearance, Johnson talked about how he has been pushing Biden to use his executive authority to secure the U.S.-Mexico border.

Johnson, in particular, says that he has been encouraging Biden to reinstate the Remain in Mexico policy. This was the policy that former President Donald Trump used to reduce illegal immigration by requiring immigrants who illegally cross into the United States to "remain in Mexico" while their immigration case makes it through the courts.

"If he would just do one executive order and reinstate Remain in Mexico, the border patrol, the people in charge, say it would reduce the flow by 70 percent," Johnson told Fox.

It was at this point that Johnson made a rather shocking revelation.

Johnson said, "I told [Biden] that, I said, 'Why won't you do it?' He goes, 'Mexico doesn't want to do that.'"

Did Biden really say that?

We are relying here on Johnson's account of what Biden allegedly said, so we don't know for sure. But, if Biden did say it, then it is fairly surprising - surprising to think that the president of the United States is essentially taking orders from Mexico.

Johnson made the same claim on Thursday, the day before his Fox News appearance. This time Johnson told reporters what Biden said, and the speaker added some extra details.

Johnson said:

How do you reduce the flow? The answer is simple. You reinstate Remain in Mexico, that alone would reduce the flow by 70 percent — that’s their estimate. I told the president that at the White House again. He acted as though he had never heard that, didn’t understand, said he couldn’t do it. I said, "That’s not true." "Well, Mexico doesn’t want that," [Biden said].

The House speaker then told reporters that he responded to Biden by saying, "Mr. President. We’re the United States, Mexico will do what we say, OK. President Trump did it. Why can’t you do it?"

Background

A record amount of illegal immigration continues to take place under the administration of Biden. Upon taking office, Biden infamously repealed Trump's stringent and effective border policies, which precipitated the crisis that has followed.

Now, however, it is an election year and Biden is getting hammered in the polls on the issue of illegal immigration.

So, Biden is trying to make it appear as though he is addressing the issue, when, in actuality, he is not.

Former President Donald Trump has often and repeatedly accused Special Counsel Jack Smith of engaging in election interference on behalf of President Joe Biden with his two criminal indictments that Smith is trying to push to trial, if not also convictions and sentencing, before voters cast their ballots in November.

Now that election interference accusation has been formally put forward in a complaint filed by Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) with Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz that calls for an internal DOJ investigation against Smith, The Hill reported.

In the formal complaint, Gaetz, one of Trump's allies in Congress, asserted that the special counsel may be in violation of a DOJ regulation that generally prohibits prosecutorial actions ahead of an election if those actions might be perceived as interfering with or altering the results in favor of one candidate over another.

Gaetz alleges election interference by Special Counsel Smith

In the letter to IG Horowitz, Rep. Gaetz pointed to section 9-85.500 of the DOJ Manual, which applies to all federal prosecutors, including Special Counsel Smith, and states: "Law enforcement officers and prosecutors may never select the timing of public statements (attributed or not), investigative steps, criminal charges, or any other action in any matter or case for the purpose of affecting any election, or for the purpose of giving an advantage or disadvantage to any candidate or political party."

"Such a purpose, or the appearance of such a purpose, is inconsistent with the Department's mission and with the Principles of Federal Prosecution," the provision added.

Gaetz went on to observe that Smith has, in multiple legal filings, including at the Supreme Court, frequently urged the courts to move with great haste in settling various pre-trial motions and appeals, such as former President Trump's claimed immunity from prosecution, and just as frequently has cited a great "public importance" that the cases against Trump be rapidly concluded, albeit without explicitly stating any reasons why such speed is necessary.

"Were there a legitimate, non-election related purpose for this request, these attorneys, who have filed in appeals courts many times, would have listed such," Gaetz wrote. "Since charges have been filed and the defendant himself is taking a legal position on timing and lodging various appeals, that justification cannot, for example, be the rights of the defendant under the Constitution or Speedy Trial Act."

"So, there can be only one conclusion: Special Counsel Jack Smith sees it as of paramount importance to hold a trial before the November 2024 election, but he is unable to explicitly say so, as such a justification is in violation of Departmental policy and law," the congressman asserted.

IG Horowitz should investigate Smith's reasons for rapidity in Trump prosecutions

Rep. Gaetz went on to point out that numerous legal commentators from across the ideological spectrum, including those who oppose former President Trump, have called out Special Counsel Smith for his overt and readily apparent efforts to rush through his criminal prosecutions of Trump before the November election.

"It is indisputable that we are already in an election season. However, the Justice Manual does not set hard dates," he continued. It is the core of prohibited conduct that a purpose (not the purpose) of any official action of a prosecutor be to affect any election: it may be morally correct that the American people should see swift resolution of this case, perhaps with dropped charges or a Trump acquittal before the November 2024 Presidential election, but wielding Executive Branch authority in the service of this is a violation of law. Prosecutors must be held to a higher standard."

The Florida congressman reminded IG Horowitz that it was his "statutory mission" to investigate potential violations of DOJ policies and regulations, and further observed that the DOJ has been resistant to and uncooperative with outside efforts from Congress to initiate any such interbranch probes, which necessitates the IG's "immediate attention into compliance of the Office of Special Counsel Jack Smith with Departmental regulations, particularly related to investigatory and prosecutorial actions during an election season."

"The precise scope of an investigation may be as narrow as interviewing the Special Counsel, and determining that he has a lawful purpose in seeking the expediting of his case against Donald Trump, and determining that he did not have the purpose of keying a trial date to the election calendar. Or it may be wider," Gaetz's letter concluded. "Please alert my office of any developments in this matter."

Smith's anti-Trump "witch hunt" intended to "unlawfully interfere" in the 2024 election

In a statement that accompanied the public release of the letter to IG Horowitz, Rep. Gaetz said, "The witch hunt against President Trump by Attorney General Garland and Special Counsel Smith is a partisan exercise, and the American people know it."

"The actions of the Special Counsel Smith to speed up the trial against President Trump violate the DOJ’s rules and the law," he added. "His public comments and his office’s briefs before the Supreme Court demonstrate that he has no reason for his actions other than to unlawfully interfere in the 2024 presidential election."

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