WASHINGTON – Special counsel Jack Smith asked the judge in Donald Trump’s election interference criminal case to pause the process and give him a month to formally request how to proceed; this was probably the first step in the process. discontinuation of prosecution.

In a filing Friday, Smith said that “as a result of the election,” the prosecution “respectfully requests that the Court vacate the remaining time in the pretrial schedule to allow the Government time to evaluate this unprecedented situation.”

The Justice Department has a long-standing policy against prosecuting sitting presidents. The Department of Justice had begun to evaluate how to end the cases filed after Trump won the election. Sources told NBC News this week.

Trump was indicted in the case in August 2023, but significant delays prevented the case from going to trial. Trump has denied all wrongdoing.

Trump has been impeached in connection with his effort to overturn his 2020 election defeat and has been accused of fraud and attempting to disenfranchise American voters. Separately, he was accused of mishandling confidential documents in a Florida case. ultimately dismissed over objections to Smith’s special prosecutor status.