Trump wants release of Jan. 6 evidence against him blocked until after election

Oct. 17 (UPI) -- Donald Trump doesn't want details from Jan. 6 evidence against him to be released to the public until after the Nov. 5 election, according to a Thursday morning court filing.

That evidence had been schedule to be released Thursday.

Trump faces federal criminal charges for what Special Counsel Jack Smith alleges in a court filing was a "criminal scheme to overturn the 2020 presidential election."

The former president faces criminal charges for the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by a violent pro-Trump mob intent on stopping congressional certification of the 2020 presidential election results.

In a Thursday legal filing, Trump's lawyers objected to public release of the detailed evidence against him, asking the court to block public release of the evidence until Nov. 14.

Trump's lawyers said in their motion, it is "essential that the public fully understand the arguments and documents on both sides of this momentous issue, and is not misled by one-sided submissions."

A Smith motion in the case Oct. 2 said Trump is seeking immunity for his Jan. 6 actions, claiming they were official presidential acts.

Smith argued in that motion that Trump is not immune because Trump acted privately as a candidate Jan. 6 "when he pursued multiple criminal means to disrupt, through fraud and deceit, the government function by which votes are collected and counted-a function in which the defendant, as president, had no official role."

Smith said the evidence "provides a comprehensive account of the defendant's private criminal conduct."

Trump's lawyers said in their filing that keeping the evidence details from the voting public until after the election serve's the public's interest "in ensuring that this case does not unduly interfere, or appear to interfere, with the ongoing election."

They said a stay on releasing the evidence would make sure that Smith's Jan. 6 criminal election conspiracy evidence "is accompanied by President Trump's rebuttal."

The evidence in question was an attachment to Smith's immunity motion unsealed two weeks ago by U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan that was to be unsealed Thursday.

Chutkin has maintained that whether or not evidence in the case is damaging to Trump politically is not and should not be a consideration in the court case, which should be guided only by the administration of justice.

The Oct. 2 special counsel court filing said Trump "resorted to crimes to try to stay in office."