U.S. District Judge Aileen M. Cannon officially scheduled the federal trial for former President Donald Trump’s classified documents case for May 20, 2024, right in the heart of the election season.
The trial will start on the day before the Georgia Republican primary, which is likely to provide a big distraction for a key GOP state.
The case involves about 40 federal counts related to how Trump stores scores of classified documents following his departure from the White House. Allegations include his refusal to return the documents to federal officials upon their request, which led to a federal raid by 40 armed agents bearing military-grade weapons on his home at Mar-a-Lago in Florida.
Trump’s legal team has asked for a delay of the trial until after the November 2024 election. The Department of Justice prosecutors asked that it start as early as this coming December.
