Special Counsel Smith Refutes Trump’s Request for Judge Chutkan’s Recusal in Election Interference Trial

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FILE - Special counsel Jack Smith speaks to the media about an indictment of former President Donald Trump, Aug. 1, 2023, at an office of the Department of Justice in Washington. A slim majority of Americans approve of the U.S. Justice Department indicting Donald Trump over his efforts to remain in office after losing the 2020 election, according to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)
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Special counsel Jack Smith has responded to former President Donald Trump’s request for Judge Tanya Chutkan to recuse herself from his 2020 election interference criminal trial. 

In a legal brief, Smith wrote that there’s “no valid basis under the relevant law and fact” for Chutkan to step down from overseeing the case, CBS News reports.

Chutkan, who has a reputation for imposing harsh penalties on Jan. 6 rioters, was randomly assigned to Trump’s case.

This undated photo provided by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, shows U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan. Chutkan is initially assigned to the election fraud case against former President Donald Trump. (Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts via AP)

Trump’s attorneys filed a motion last week arguing that Chutkan should remove herself from the case for allegedly making comments that appear to show she’s biased against him.

In one instance, she suggested in a separate case that Trump should be prosecuted and imprisoned, according to Trump’s lawyers.


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