Special counsel Jack Smith accuses Trump of ‘daily’ statements that could prejudice jury pool in election case

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Donald Trump has been accused by special counsel Jack Smith of making “daily extrajudicial statements that threaten to prejudice the jury pool” in the former president’s 20202 election trial.

Mr Smith’s claims against the Republican 2024 frontrunner about his possible impact on the Washington DC jury pool came in a new filing in the federal criminal case.

It is part of a court fight between the special counsel’s office and Mr Trump’s legal team over a filing that the Justice Department wants to make under seal.

Mr Smith’s statement came after federal prosecutors on Tuesday tried to file court documents partially under seal and partially on the public docket, according to CNN.

Mr Trump’s team then argued that the filings should not be made to the public docket until they have 14 days to respond.

“Such a requirement would grind litigation in this case to a halt, which is particularly infeasible given the pressing matters before the Court — including the defendant’s daily extrajudicial statements that threaten to prejudice the jury pool in this case, as described in the Government’s motion,” the special prosecutor’s office stated.

Mr Trump has pleaded not guilty to allegations he tried to overturn the 2020 election, which he lost to Joe Biden.

The four-time indicted former president has made a string of insulting statements towards Mr Smith, whom he has called a “deranged” prosecutor with “unchecked and insane aggression.”

Mr Trump has also used his Truth Social platform to attack US District Judge Tanya Chutkan as “highly partisan” and “VERY BIASSED & UNFAIR!” because of her comments in the sentencing of a person convicted over the January 6 attack on the US Capitol.

Judge Chutkan gave Mr Smith and Mr Trump’s team more time to file briefs on how the prosecution’s submission should be posted on the public docket.