Judge dismisses case accusing Trump of keeping classified documents illegally

U.S. District Judge in Florida dismissed the criminal case accusing Donald Trump of illegally keeping classified documents after leaving office, providing the former president with a significant legal victory as he seeks to return to the White House.

The judge, Aileen Cannon, who was appointed to the bench by Trump, ruled that Special Counsel Jack Smith, leading the prosecution, was unlawfully appointed to his role and did not have the authority to bring the case. The judge found that U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, who named Smith in 2022 to oversee investigations involving Trump, did not have the authority "to appoint a federal officer with the kind of prosecutorial power wielded by Special Counsel Smith." The judge also found that Smith's investigation had been improperly funded through a permanent and unlimited fund Congress set aside in the 1980s for independent investigations.

Legal Triumph for Trump

This ruling marked another significant legal triumph for Trump, following the U.S. Supreme Court's decision on July 1 that recognized a form of presidential immunity from prosecution for actions within his constitutional powers as president.

Prosecutors are likely to appeal Cannon's ruling. The ruling throws the future of the case into doubt, and Trump's lawyers have not made a similar challenge to the special counsel in Smith's election-related case.

Legal Precedent and Speculation

The ruling raised questions about whether Smith will seek to have Cannon removed from the case. This decision is the most consequential in a series of decisions favoring Trump and expressing skepticism about the conduct of prosecutors, which Cannon has made.

Conservative Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas also supported Trump's challenge to the special counsel, questioning the lawfulness of Smith's appointment, using similar arguments to those made by Trump's lawyers.