A federal judge granted a motion to dismiss the classified documents case against former president Donald Trump.
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A federal judge granted a motion to dismiss the classified documents case against former president Donald Trump.
"Upon careful study of the foundational challenges raised in the motion, the Court is convinced that Special Counsel's [sic] Smith's prosecution of this action breaches two structural cornerstones of our constitutional scheme—the role of Congress in the appointment of constitutional officers, and the role of Congress in authorizing expenditures by law," Judge Aileen Cannon of the Southern District of Florida wrote in her opinion released Monday morning.
Cannon dismissed the indictment from Special Counsel Jack Smith, ruling that Smith's appointment violates the Sppointments Clause of the U.S. Constitution.
Smith was tasked with prosecuting Trump in connection to the former president's handling of classified documents and other presidential records after leaving the White House in early 2021. In June 2023, the Department of Justice unsealed a federal indictment accusing Trump of 37 felony counts in connection with obstruction of justice and mishandling government records.
Trump on Monday cheered the news and called for an end to his other legal battles.
"As we move forward in Uniting our Nation after the horrific events on Saturday, this dismissal of the Lawless Indictment in Florida should be just the first step, followed quickly by the dismissal of ALL the Witch Hunts — The January 6th Hoax in Washington, D.C., the Manhattan D.A.'s Zombie Case, the New York A.G. Scam, Fake Claims about a woman I never met (a decades old photo in a line with her then husband does not count), and the Georgia 'Perfect' Phone Call charges," Trump wrote on Truth Social.
"The Democrat Justice Department coordinated ALL of these Political Attacks, which are an Election Interference conspiracy against Joe Biden's Political Opponent, ME," Trump went on. "Let us come together to END all Weaponization of our Justice System, and Make America Great Again!"
The case dates back to early 2022, when the National Archives and Records Administration began communicating with the Department of Justice about classified documents that it said Trump kept from his time in office. Around that same time, the former president returned more than a dozen boxes filled with many of the documents in question.
When federal investigators then asked Trump for additional documents they believed were still in his possession, negotiations between the two sides broke down. Then, in August 2022, FBI agents armed with a federal search warrant raided the Mar-a-Lago Resort, where Trump's Florida residence is located, and confiscated additional documents belonging to the government.
Months later, in November 2022, Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed Smith to lead the case as an independent prosecutor who could "complete these matters in an even-handed and urgent manner."
Smith unsealed the indictment against Trump in mid-2023. The former president pleaded not guilty to the charges and has repeatedly characterized the prosecution as a witch hunt. Earlier this year, he filed four separate motions to dismiss Smith's indictment, based on presidential immunity, unconstitutional vagueness, the Presidential Records Act, and unlawful appointment and funding of Smith's operation by Garland.
"The appointments clause does not permit the attorney general to appoint, without Senate confirmation, a private citizen and like-minded political ally to wield the prosecutorial power of the United States," Trump's unlawful appointment and funding motion stated at the time. "As such, Jack Smith lacks the authority to prosecute this action."
Update 11:53 a.m.: This piece has been updated for clarity and with additional information.
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