Judge throws out classified documents case against Donald Trump
A federal judge in the United States threw out the classified documents prosecution against former President Donald Trump, saying the Biden administration did not legally appoint the prosecutor.
Judge Aileen Cannon of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida, West Palm Beach Division, sided with Mr Trump’s argument that special counsel Jack Smith was doing an unlawful job when he took up the task of filing the historical charges. The decision came down on Monday morning. The charges were filed in June 2023.
Ms Cannon said Mr Smith was not a sworn attorney of the United States, which violated the appointments clause under the Constitution. She also said his appointment violated appropriations statutes because he was expected to spend unallocated funds indefinitely.
The development marked another substantial victory for the politician, who is accepting the nomination of the Republican Party for president for the third time this week in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He survived an assassination attempt on Saturday.
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