The judge granted a seven day delay in the release of the redacted appendix from the legal brief challenging the former president’s immunity from prosecution.
A federal judge on Thursday approved the release of redacted evidence related to a brief filed by Special Counsel Jack Smith that disputes former President Donald Trump’s claim of immunity in his federal election case.
The special counsel’s brief maintained that none of the allegations in the indictment were protected by presidential immunity and that “at its core, the defendant’s scheme was a private one.”
Chutkan said the defense’s blanket objections to further unsealing were without merit and that concerns with the political consequences of the case proceedings were “not a cognizable legal prejudice.”
The judge granted Trump’s request for a stay on the decision, pausing the release for seven days to allow the defense to “evaluate litigation options,” according to the two-page order.
Trump had earlier opposed the release of the redacted appendix and requested that the court grant a stay for a reasonable period if it decided to approve the release.
Sensitive materials include grand jury transcripts, materials obtained through sealed search warrants, and witness interview reports. Smith’s office stated that the redacted appendix may include quotations of summaries of sensitive information.
Prosecutors have also proposed limited redactions to “some publicly-available materials,” such as the identities of individuals mentioned in Trump’s tweets who may be susceptible to threats or harassment due to their status as potential trial witnesses, the filing stated.
Trump’s attorneys did not immediately return a request for comment.
Sam Dorman contributed to this report.