Former President Donald Trump has made a false claim that the Department of Justice is restricted in taking law enforcement actions against candidates in the 60 days leading up to an election. This claim comes as Trump faces federal indictments in Washington, DC for election interference and in Florida for hoarding classified documents. Despite Trump’s assertion, legal experts have rejected the idea of a formal “60-day rule” within the Justice Department.
Trump’s claim stems from an unwritten guideline adopted by Justice Department officials to avoid overt law enforcement activities close to an election. While this guideline is not a legal requirement, many officials have followed it as a best practice. However, this guideline typically applies to major actions, such as the filing of new indictments, and not to cases where indictments were issued prior to the 60-day window.
In response to Trump’s claim, federal prosecutors have stated that the guideline does not apply to his ongoing cases in Washington, DC and Florida, as Trump had already been charged before the 60-day mark. Additionally, the guideline only pertains to federal proceedings, not state-level cases like Trump’s upcoming sentencing in New York or pending trial in Georgia.
Ultimately, Trump’s claim about the Justice Department’s supposed 60-day rule is unfounded and lacks validity. As the 60-day mark before the election approaches, Trump’s federal cases continue to move forward unaffected by the unwritten guideline.
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