A federal judge has rejected former President Donald Trump’s request to dismiss his classified documents case under the Presidential Records Act.
Trump’s attorneys made four motions to dismiss, arguing that Trump should have retained custody of the documents in question, even after his presidency, based on the provisions of the Presidential Records Act.
In a recent ruling, Judge Aileen Cannon rejected yet another motion by Trump, in which he sought to have the case dismissed on the grounds of unconstitutional vagueness.
The former president has also requested the dismissal of the case, arguing that he is protected by presidential immunity. Additionally, he claims that the appointment of Jack Smith as special counsel was unlawful.
In her order on Thursday, Judge Cannon also criticized the special counsel for filing his request to reverse course on proposed jury instructions late on Tuesday.
In a recent filing, Smith strongly urged Cannon to reconsider the notion that Trump had any personal ownership of the classified materials in question.
Judge Cannon firmly rejected Smith’s demand to disclose her stance on whether the Presidential Records Act would impact jury instructions, deeming it as both unprecedented and unjust.
“The Court’s Order seeking preliminary draft instructions on specific counts should not be misunderstood as a definitive statement on any crucial element or raised defense in this case,” stated Cannon. “Furthermore, it should not be perceived as anything other than what it was: a sincere effort to gain a deeper understanding of the parties’ contrasting viewpoints and the queries that will be presented to the jury in this intricate case that has no prior precedent.”
The judge dismissed Smith’s suggestion that he could seek intervention from the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals to compel her to clarify her position. In response, the judge made it clear that any party is free to exercise their right to pursue appellate options within the bounds of the law.
Trump entered a plea of not guilty in June of last year to 37 criminal counts. These charges were related to his mishandling of classified materials. Prosecutors alleged that he had repeatedly refused to return hundreds of documents containing classified information. These documents included sensitive details about U.S. nuclear secrets and the nation’s defense capabilities. Additionally, Trump was accused of taking steps to hinder the government’s efforts to retrieve the documents.
Trump has vehemently denied all charges and has consistently labeled the investigation as nothing more than a political witch hunt.
