(Ken Silva, Headline USA) Donald Trump’s lawyers disclosed in a Thursday filing that the former President intends to present classified information about foreign election interference in the 2016 and 2020 elections.
Trump’s filing came in response to the Justice Department allegedly redacting much of the classified documents presented to Trump during the discovery process of his election interference case in Washington DC.
The DOJ has argued that its prosecution of Trump doesn’t rely on classified evidence, but his lawyers said such info is needed for the former President’s defense.
“The Indictment in this case adopts classified assessments by the Intelligence Community and others that minimized, and at times ignored, efforts by foreign actors to influence and interfere with the 2020 election,” Trump’s filing stated.
“President Trump will offer classified information at trial relating to foreign influence activities that impacted the 2016 and 2020 elections, as well as efforts by his administration to combat those activities,” the filing stated.
“President Trump will also present classified information relating to the biased and politicized nature of the intelligence assessments that he and others.”
Trump’s filing comes as he seeks to dismiss the election-interference charges against him on the grounds of presidential immunity. His lawyers also filed a brief about that on Thursday, arguing that Congress—and not the DOJ—should be the decider as to whether a President is a criminal.
“The People’s representatives in Congress—not an unelected prosecutor—first decide whether a President’s official actions are worthy of sanction and potential criminal liability. That has not occurred, and, in fact, the Senate acquitted President Trump of charges formed on the same basis as the indictment,” the filing said.
“Accordingly, the Court should hold that President Trump is immune from criminal prosecution for the acts described in the indictment and dismiss this case, with prejudice.”
Ken Silva is a staff writer at Headline USA. Follow him at twitter.com/jd_cashless.
