Former Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark, who is one of the co-defendants indicted alongside former President Donald Trump in a racketeering case in Georgia, has requested a judge to reject the proposed trial date set by the Fulton County district attorney. In a court filing, Clark’s attorney argued that the proposed trial date in March 2024 could be seen as an attempt by the district attorney to prioritize trying the former president before the 2024 presidential election.
Clark’s attorney criticized District Attorney Fani Willis, stating that she prematurely proposed a trial date and several pre-trial proceeding dates. The attorney noted that none of the 19 defendants named in the indictment have been served with any warrant or taken into custody, and no arraignments or first appearances have taken place.
Furthermore, Clark’s attorney expressed concerns about the proposed dates not aligning with the schedules of the numerous busy attorneys representing the defendants. The attorney emphasized that the district attorney’s office did not consult with opposing counsel before filing the motion.
District Attorney Fani Willis has given the defendants until August 25 to voluntarily surrender. Clark himself has been charged with violating Georgia’s racketeering law and attempting to commit false statements and writings, but he has denied any wrongdoing.
CNN had previously reported that Clark drafted a letter promoting false claims of voting irregularities in the 2020 election and urged Georgia lawmakers to invalidate Joe Biden’s legitimate electors. He had also lobbied former President Trump to make him the acting attorney general to send the letter and intervene in the Georgia election. However, Trump decided against it after other senior Justice Department officials threatened to resign.
The request to reject the proposed trial date adds another development to the ongoing legal proceedings involving former President Trump and the co-defendants in the racketeering case. The court will now consider Clark’s request and decide on the next steps in the trial process.