In a significant legal victory for former United States president Donald Trump, a Florida judge has dismissed the US Justice Department’s classified documents case against him.
This ruling comes shortly after a gunman attempted to assassinate Trump.
Judge Aileen Cannon granted Trump’s motion to dismiss the federal case, arguing that the Justice Department’s appointment of special prosecutor Jack Smith violated the Appointments Clause of the US Constitution.
Trump had pleaded not guilty to several charges related to his handling of classified documents, including the willful retention of national defense information. The investigation revealed dozens of classified files at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, found in locations such as a shower and a storage room, after he left the White House in 2021. He faced 40 felony counts for the alleged mishandling of these documents.
In her ruling, Judge Cannon specified that this decision applies only to the classified documents case and not to a second case overseen by Jack Smith regarding alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election. Trump’s lawyers did not request a dismissal of that case.
Judge Cannon, who was appointed by Trump, had previously postponed the federal classified documents trial indefinitely, citing significant questions over trial evidence. Her rulings in Trump’s classified documents case have been the subject of controversy.
The dismissal comes as Republicans gather in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, for the Republican National Convention, where Trump is expected to be officially named the party’s nominee for president later this week.
Beyond this case, Trump faces three other criminal prosecutions. In May, he was found guilty of falsifying business records in one of these cases.
Special prosecutor Jack Smith has the option to appeal Monday’s ruling and request a new judge for the case. Smith has not yet commented publicly on Judge Cannon’s decision.
Following the dismissal, Trump posted on his social media platform that the case’s dismissal “should be just the first step, followed quickly by the dismissal of ALL the Witch Hunts.”
