Judge rejects Trump effort to dismiss 2020 election interference case

The judge overseeing Donald Trump's 2020 election interference case has dismissed an effort to have it thrown out.

US District Judge Tanya Chutkan said Trump's legal team had provided “no meaningful evidence” the former president had been prosecuted for "vindictive and political purposes".

Trump has been accused of spearheading a widespread effort to overthrow the results of the presidential election he lost to Joe Biden.

He has denied wrongdoing and has previously claimed the Biden administration is behind the prosecution.

The case returned to the federal court in Washington DC on Friday, following a major Supreme Court ruling that concluded he had partial immunity from prosecution.

In a motion to dismiss it, Trump's lawyers argued he had been singled out for prosecution while other people who questioned the election results had not been.

His lawyers also suggested Trump's political opponents had launched the prosecution to prevent him from winning re-election.

Both arguments were rejected, with Judge Chutkan writing in her ruling that Trump was not charged merely for challenging the results, but because he had made "knowingly making false statements in furtherance of criminal conspiracies and for obstruction of election certification proceedings".

She also criticised his lawyers for misinterpreting news stories they cited in their motion, adding that they were wrong to argue that these demonstrated the prosecution had a political motive.

Federal prosecutors allege Trump pressured officials to reverse the results, knowingly spread lies about election fraud and sought to exploit the Capitol riot on 6 January 2021 to delay the certification of Biden's victory and stay in power.

He has been charged with four criminal counts, including conspiracy to defraud the US and conspiracy against the rights of citizens.

Judge Chutkan has scheduled a fresh hearing on 16 August to discuss next steps in the case.