The Center Square) – A federal judge on Friday set a date for former President Donald Trump’s classified documents court case, kicking the trial off in the heart of election season.

Judge Aileen M. Cannon set the case to begin in May 2024 in Fort Pierce, Fla. The judge chose May 20, the day before the Georgia Republican primary but after most other primary states have held their votes.

As The Center Square previously reported, Trump faces nearly 40 federal counts for his handling of classified documents after he left the White House and his alleged refusal to return them to federal officials until the eventual raid on his Florida estate.

Trump’s legal team has argued the case should be pushed past the November 2024 election, and the Department of Justice prosecutors wanted the case to begin in December of this year.