Major breaking
news in the classified documents
case against Donald Trump.
A trial date has now been set,
the stage now
set for federal court appearances
as he runs for the White House.
CNN's senior legal affairs
correspondent Paula Reid joins us now.
So, Paula,
this is certainly not the trial date
that the special counsel's office
was hoping for.
What more can you tell us
Well, at least it's a trial date
because defense attorneys had argued
that it was too soon
to even put a date on the calendar
or how the central tension in this case
right now the central conflict
between the defense attorneys
and prosecutors is over timing.
Prosecutors, including Jack
Smith, have said they want a, quote,
speedy trial,
which is
why they wanted to take this case
before a jury in December.
But defense attorneys
argued in court
Tuesday before this same judge
that it would be, quote, unfair
to put the former president on trial
at any time before the 2024 election.
So here the judge split the difference.
She put a trial date on the calendar
for the middle of May 2024.
She also offered a very detailed schedule
for when things need to happen.
There's a lot going on in this case.
It is complex
it deals with a lot of
classified discovery
and just a lot of discovery overall.
Now, former President
Trump's lawyers have also noted
how they have several other cases
that they are working on.
So she set out a detailed schedule
for when she wants everything to happen.
But it is possible,
highly likely
even that this date could slide
because when we're in court on Tuesday,
the judge is really pressing
defense attorneys
to give her a little more guidance, help
her understand
how long it was going to take them
to go through some of the discovery
They have hours and hours and hours
of surveillance footage.
They have tens,
if not hundreds of thousands of documents
to go through.
And they said that they wouldn't
even be able to give her that guidance.
Until November.
So I would not be surprised
to see in a few months
the defense attorneys
try to push this back.
And that's really the strategy for them.
Right. Get a little delay here.
Another little delay
there
to try to push this so far into 20, 24
that they might be able
to successfully make an argument
that the former president
cannot be put on trial
so close to an election.
Well, when we were in court Tuesday,
this judge,
she was not interested
in any arguments
from either side
about Trump's status as a candidate.
Prosecutors said.
They said, look,
it doesn't matter if he's a candidate.
He's no longer the president.
He should be treated
like any other busy American.
Defense attorneys
really took issue with that.
She basically said
I don't want to hear it.
I'm focused
on how long it's
going to take you to do the work
to get to trial.
So we'll be watching
to see if this sticks.
But I think in November,
when those lawyers have a better sense
of how long
it's going to take them
to prepare for trial,
we could see them push
for at least one more delay.
It'll be really fascinating to watch
because any delay gets us
closer and closer
of course, to November, the election.
Paula Reid, great to have you.
And Kate,
she made the point that she sort of split
the difference
between what the special counsel wanted
and what Trump's team
had been hoping for.
She may have split the difference
in terms of the calendar,
but it's right
smack dab
in the middle of the political calendar.
So a lot to watch here.
And they may be now having to work on
scheduling more scheduling issues
if we're looking at a third indictment,
that could be coming.
Let's talk more about the indictment.
Watch the target letter
that Donald Trump received
regarding January six and his efforts
to overturn the 2020 election results.
Joining us right now
is former federal prosecutor Tim Harvey.
He was the chief investigative counsel
for the January
six Congressional Committee.
It's great to talk to you again, Tim.
One thing that we noticed, while
everyone is waiting
and anticipating
that a third indictment
is coming for Donald Trump.
No one is yet at least publicly said
that they have received that we know of.
No one else has received a target letter.
But you do need
someone else to be involved
when you have a conspiracy charge
that he could be facing
if that is a charge
coming to Donald Trump.
Who do you think
if from your work
and all of
all of the hours of investigative time
that you spent on this,
who do you think would be the
possible coconspirators here?
Yeah, well, the select committee
actually made a criminal referral,
not just of president
former President Trump,
but also of Rudy Giuliani, of
John Eastman, of Kentucky, Hasbro,
and of Mark Meadows.
There are certainly plenty of people
who were directly involved
in what we found
was an intentional,
multi-part plan
to obstruct the joint session
and prevent the transfer of power.
So there are any number of people
that could be included in a conspiracy.
So one of the challenges
for Jack Smith
is how broad to charging conspiracy
beyond the leader of that conspiracy,
the former president
You mentioned Mark Meadows.
Do you think someone necessarily
had to turn on Trump with regards to
and cooperate with the special counsel
in order for the counsel
to get to this point?
I mean, Mark
Meadows is
I would say just take for one example.
Do you and your experience
think that he is inclined
to cooperate with the Justice Department?
Is that really hard to say?
We know we had a little bit of a dance
with Mr.
Meadows where we invited him
to come and provide
information to the select committee.
He gave us really important information
in the form of his text messages
all the way from before the election post
January six.
But then he wouldn't come in
for an interview.
And we actually referred him
to the Department of Justice
for potential criminal prosecution.
The special counsel has leverage,
the special counsel has the ability
to bring criminal charges
and use the looming prospect of charges
as leverage to get people to cooperate.
That's what prosecutor is do
in all kinds of cases.
I'm not sure
whether that has happened in this matter.
And Mr.
Meadows has assessed his culpability
and provided information
to the special counsel
that he wouldn't provide
to the select committee.
But if so, that would be huge,
because he was right in the center
of all of those prongs
of this
multi-pronged plan
to disrupt the transfer of power.
We know that the special counsel,
the grand jury, heard
testimony yesterday
from a Trump aide, Will Russell
Did you all speak with
Will Russell
as part of your investigation?
We did not speak to Russell.
We heard a lot about him,
but we actually did not speak to Russell.
He was a body man.
He was the guy that carried Tic-Tacs.
And the comb in the Diet
Cokes around for the president
was sort of one of several aides
that was around him.
So he would have been in a position
to hear conversations.
Was in the room when things happened.
And that's
why the special counsel
is interested in him.
He's apparently been
before the grand jury several times.
And there is some reporting
about privilege assertions.
I'm not sure exactly where he stands,
but but not surprising to me
that he would be someone
special counsel would like. Dr.
Tim Harvey.
Tim, great to have you on always
and to continue to come on
when when this
potential indictment comes down
because no one knows the ins
and outs
of an investigation around January
six better than you.
As the lead investigator in this
for the Select Committee in Congress.
Thanks, Tim.