Trump attorneys push to dismiss election subversion case

Lawyers for former President Donald Trump on Monday night filed three motions to dismiss the federal case in Washington, D.C., accusing him of trying to overturn the election. Trump’s defense argued that the charges violate his free speech rights and are politically motivated. Another filing requests that references to the Capitol riot on Jan. 6 be removed from the indictment. Trump’s lawyers say the references are irrelevant because prosecutors did not accuse the former president of inciting the mob’s attack. The prosecution, led by special counsel Jack Smith, last week asked a judge to dismiss Trump’s claims of immunity from federal prosecution. The case is scheduled to go to trial in March.

What is happening in some of the other cases against Trump? Jenna Ellis, a former lawyer for Trump, on Tuesday pleaded guilty to a felony charge for attempting to overturn the 2020 election in Georgia. She is the fourth defendant to take a plea deal from prosecutors. A grand jury indicted 19 people in the case, including Trump.

Dig deeper: Read Carolina Lumetta’s report in The Stew about the indictment against Trump in Georgia.