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Special counsel Jack Smith urged the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday to turn down a request from Donald Trump–whom he is prosecuting on charges of attempting to overturn the 2020 election–to pause the case while he appeals the question of whether he is immune from charges related to his time in office.
The former president had asked Monday to place the case on hold while he appeals a lower court’s ruling jettisoning his immunity argument earlier this month.
“Delay in the resolution of these charges threatens to frustrate the public interest in a speedy and fair verdict—a compelling interest in every criminal case and one that has unique national importance here,” Smith wrote, “as it involves federal criminal charges against a former president for alleged criminal efforts to overturn the results of the presidential election, including through the use of official power.”