Judge schedules hearing for August 16 in Trump’s federal election interference case

The magistrate presiding over former President Donald Trump’s federal election meddling case has scheduled a hearing for August 16 at 10 a.m. Trump is not obligated to be present.

This will mark the first instance in seven months that the parties will show up in Judge Tanya Chutkan’s courtroom. Chutkan also rejected Trump’s request to dismiss the case on statutory grounds. She indicates they can refile the motion once matters of presidential immunity are settled.

The case has been put on hold as Trump’s legal team challenged presidential immunity all the way to the Supreme Court.

In a 6-3 decision last month written by Chief Justice John Roberts, the court determined that a president has complete immunity for actions within their core constitutional powers and a presumption of immunity for “actions within the outer perimeter of his official responsibility.”

Judge Chutkan will be tasked with applying the Supreme Court’s ruling to the accusations in Trump’s criminal case, determining whether Trump’s deeds were “official acts” or private behavior that can be prosecuted.

Trump pleaded not guilty last year to charges of orchestrating a “criminal plot” to overturn the results of the 2020 election by recruiting a group of so-called “fake electors,” using the Justice Department to conduct “bogus election crime investigations,” attempting to involve the vice president in “changing the election results,” and spreading false allegations of a stolen election as the Jan. 6 riot unfolded — all in an attempt to undermine democracy and cling to power.

The former president has refuted any wrongdoing.

Trump was originally set for a trial on March 4 before his appeal effectively halted the proceedings.