Special Counsel Jack Smith on Monday sought a classified protective order ahead of a hearing this week in the classified documents case to ‘avoid further delay.’
Jack Smith’s prosecutors asked the court to limit Trump’s access to classified materials related to the case.
The DOJ’s request will be heard at Tuesday’s Classified Information Procedures Act hearing.
Federal prosecutors also said they haven’t received a response from Trump’s legal team since a July 14 request to have a call with Trump and Walt Nauta.
Government lawyers said they filed the motion to ‘avoid further delay.’
The Washington Examiner reported:
The special counsel investigating former President Donald Trump’s classified documents case is seeking a protective order ahead of a key hearing this week, saying it’s necessary to “avoid further delay” by the former president’s defense.
In their Monday filing, attorneys for Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith included a proposed protective order for classified information ahead of a Classified Information Procedures Act hearing on Tuesday to decide how sensitive materials involved in the legal proceeding can be protected.
Government attorneys also said they had not heard from Trump’s counsel since a July 14 request to have a call with the defendants “in order to see if it was possible to address the Defendants’ concerns,” according to court records.
“Defense counsel informed the Government that they were not available that day but could find a time for a call the following week,” the government attorneys wrote, adding they were “filing this motion now to avoid further delay.”
In the proposed request, the language of the government’s filing indicated the DOJ wants some materials given to Trump’s lawyers to be off limits to the former president, a request that could prompt Trump to challenge and thereby cause further delay.