United States District Judge Aileen Cannon convened a crucial hearing on Wednesday regarding the classified documents case involving former President Donald Trump.
Trump faces 40 felony charges for allegedly mishandling classified documents and impeding the federal government’s efforts to recover these records. A superseding indictment revealed that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) seized “102 documents with classification markings” in their controversial raid of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in 2022.
The hearing, held at Florida’s Fort Pierce courthouse, signifies the first significant development in the case since the trial’s indefinite postponement earlier this month. Judge Cannon postponed the trial citing a multitude of unresolved pretrial motions. This decision followed the prosecution’s acknowledgment that certain evidence in the case had not been adequately preserved, with documents no longer in their original order and colored cover sheets indicating classification levels missing from Trump’s possession.
It has always been very clear that the “Documents Case” is nothing but an Election Interference Scam concocted by Crooked Joe Biden, Deranged Jack Smith, and their Hacks and Thugs… pic.twitter.com/KZS6XggGg5
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) May 9, 2024
Special Counsel Jack Smith’s team offered explanations for the disorderly evidence, attributing it to the accidental displacement of smaller items within the boxes.
During the hearing, Cannon was slated to entertain arguments for dismissal from Trump’s legal team. Trump himself was not expected to be present.
In addition to Trump, the court will consider motions to dismiss charges against co-defendant Waltine Nauta, who served as Trump’s valet at the White House and later as his personal aide at Mar-a-Lago.
Trump and his co-defendants have pleaded not guilty, vehemently denying any wrongdoing. Trump’s legal team had previously filed a motion to dismiss the case, characterizing the indictment as a “personal and political attack” against the former president.
The defense’s motion, filed in February, contended that the raid on Trump’s estate was unconstitutional and that the seized evidence violated Trump’s attorney-client privilege. Attorney General Merrick Garland authorized the raid, asserting that the warrant was meticulously supported and provided clear guidance to FBI agents.
The prosecution rebutted Trump’s argument, claiming that the warrant was based on detailed affidavits establishing probable cause, and dismissing Trump’s arguments as lacking any plausible basis.
