A federal judge made a surprising ruling on Monday by dismissing the classified documents case against former President Donald Trump. In a 93-page ruling, District Judge Aileen Cannon stated that the appointment of special counsel Jack Smith was unconstitutional. The judge did not address whether Trump's handling of classified documents was appropriate or not.
Judge Cannon, who was appointed by Trump in 2020, criticized the trend of appointing special counsels without sufficient judicial oversight. This ruling comes amidst the Republican National Convention and following a recent failed attempt on Trump's life.
While many legal experts considered the classified documents case as a significant legal challenge for Trump, the dismissal has now shifted the focus to other pending cases against him. Trump, in a statement on Truth Social, called for the dismissal of all charges against him, labeling them as political attacks.
The Justice Department has approved plans to appeal the dismissal of the case, emphasizing that the Attorney General has the authority to appoint a Special Counsel. Smith had charged Trump with taking classified documents and resisting government efforts to retrieve them.
In addition to the dismissed case, Trump faces federal charges related to his attempts to overturn the 2020 election, a state-level election subversion case in Georgia, and state crimes in New York for a hush money payment scheme.
The argument to dismiss the case under the appointments clause gained traction, especially after Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas raised concerns about the legality of the Special Counsel's office. Judge Cannon's ruling highlighted the separation-of-powers violation and questioned the funding of Smith's investigation.
While the Justice Department could potentially reallocate funds to continue Smith's investigation, the legal implications of reviving the case remain uncertain. The judge expressed doubts about finding a remedy that would address the separation-of-powers issue without dismissing the case.
Smith's team suggested restructuring the office's funding to address the concerns raised by Judge Cannon, but the path forward for the case remains unclear.
