A court has decided that former US President Donald Trump will stand trial in the spring of 2019 for alleged mishandling of confidential documents.
The case was scheduled for May 20 by Judge Aileen Cannon. Mr. Trump wanted the trial to take place after the election in November 2024. This year, prosecutors wanted it.
With the election campaign in full flow, the high-profile lawsuit will get started.
Regarding the safekeeping of private documents at his Florida home, Mr. Trump, 77, is facing serious charges.
After leaving office, according to the prosecution, he improperly stored confidential documents at his Mar-a-Lago residence and hindered government efforts to obtain them.
The former president has defended his innocence and denounced the investigation as an effort to sabotage his political campaign.
The trial date, according to a statement from Mr. Trump on Friday, is a “major setback” to the justice department’s “crusade” against him.
“The extensive schedule allows President Trump and his legal team to continue fighting this empty hoax,” the former president said.
On Friday, Judge Cannon, a Trump appointee, said the two-week trial would take place in Fort Pierce, Florida.
