Washington court resumes Trump criminal case

The case was returned to the US District Court for the District of Columbia after the Supreme Court ruled on July 1 (6-3) that former presidents have immunity from prosecution for official actions taken while in office.

"Ordered, on the court’s own motion, that this case be remanded to the District Court for further proceedings consistent with the Supreme Court’s opinion," said a statement from the District Court for the District of Columbia.

Now that US District Judge Tanya Chutkan has taken control of the case again, she will need to interpret and apply the Supreme Court's ruling. Specifically, she will have to determine which of the alleged actions by Trump, as described in Special Counsel Jack Smith's indictment, are considered "official" and which could be subject to criminal prosecution.

The indictment, one of four criminal cases brought against Trump last year, accuses him of interfering in the 2020 presidential election. Specifically, it alleges illegal conspiracy to remain in office by working with his aides to overturn the election results, in which Trump lost to current US President Joe Biden.

Judge Chutkan has scheduled a hearing for August 16 in Washington. This procedural step will restart the case with a wave of motions and potential hearings, but media reports suggest that due to the substantial workload for the judge and lawyers, the trial is unlikely to conclude before the November elections, in which Trump is a Republican candidate.

Western media reports that if Trump is elected president, he could appoint an attorney general who might decide to drop the case.

Investigations into Trump and upcoming debates

Recently, The Washington Post reported that the US was conducting a non-public investigation into a possible bribery attempt involving Trump. In 2016, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi reportedly tried to give Trump $10 million, which Trump allegedly invested in his campaign in the final days before the presidential election.

It is worth noting that Trump is currently one of the leading candidates for the presidency. He will run for the presidency on the Republican ticket, while Vice President Kamala Harris will be his Democratic opponent.

Harris could potentially use the criminal cases as a political weapon, given her background as a former prosecutor. Debates between the candidates are expected in September, but whether they will occur is uncertain since Harris has declined to participate in debates under Trump's conditions.