Justice Dept., special counsel in talks about how to wind down Trump prosecutions

Washington — The Justice Department and typical counsel Jack Smith's agency are engaged successful progressive discussions astir really to upwind down nan ongoing national prosecutions against President-elect Donald Trump, according to 2 group acquainted pinch nan talks.

At nan halfway of nan discussions is nan Justice Department's longstanding policy against prosecuting a sitting president and nan request to alteration a soft modulation to a 2nd word successful nan White House for Trump, nan sources said.

Regulations governing nan typical counsel dictate that nan precocious echelons of nan Justice Department, including perchance Attorney General Merrick Garland, are to beryllium consulted connected awesome decisions successful an investigation overseen by a typical counsel. Smith's agency declined to comment.

Garland appointed Smith successful November 2022 to return complete nan Justice Department's investigations involving Trump.

The president-elect was indicted connected national charges successful 2 abstracted cases brought by Smith past year, nan first involving his alleged mishandling of delicate authorities records and nan 2nd stemming from his purported efforts to subvert nan transportation of power aft nan 2020 statesmanlike election.

The erstwhile president pleaded not blameworthy to each charges and accused Smith of mounting a politically motivated prosecution aimed astatine assisting President Biden's — and past Harris' — run against him.

In nan prosecution involving authorities documents, which was brought successful South Florida, Smith and his squad claimed Trump unlawfully held onto dozens of records base classification markings aft leaving nan White House successful January 2021 and worked pinch 2 staffers, who were charged alongside him, to impede nan Justice Department's investigation. The staffers, adjutant Walt Nauta and Mar-a-Lago spot head Carlos De Oliveira, besides pleaded not guilty.

The erstwhile president faced 40 charges, but they were each dismissed earlier this twelvemonth erstwhile nan judge overseeing nan case, Aileen Cannon, ruled Smith's assignment was unconstitutional. Smith appealed nan ruling, and some sides person submitted filings to nan U.S. Court of Appeals for nan 11th Circuit connected nan issue. 

In nan 2nd case, brought successful Washington, D.C., prosecutors claimed Trump mounted an forbidden strategy to clasp onto powerfulness for a 2nd word aft losing nan 2020 predetermination to Mr. Biden. Proceedings were paused for months, though, arsenic Trump sought to person nan charges dismissed connected nan grounds that statesmanlike immunity shielded him from prosecution.

The Supreme Court weighed successful connected nan matter successful July, ruling that erstwhile presidents cannot look charges arising from charismatic actions taken while successful nan White House, and the lawsuit resumed earlier U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan successful August.

Smith secured a superseding indictment against Trump that narrowed nan allegations against him to comply pinch nan Supreme Court's decision, and nan 2 sides are successful nan midst of debating whether nan charges tin still stand.

Melissa Quinn contributed to this report.