Trump classified documents case dismissed by judge

A US judge ruled the case should be thrown out because the special counsel's appointment violated the constitution.

British Broadcasting CorporationWatchHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureTravelEarthVideoLiveHomeNewsIsrael-Gaza WarWar in UkraineUS & CanadaUKUK PoliticsEnglandN. IrelandN. Ireland PoliticsScotlandScotland PoliticsWalesWales PoliticsAfricaAsiaChinaIndiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastIn PicturesBBC VerifySportBusinessExecutive LoungeTechnology of BusinessWomen at the HelmFuture of BusinessInnovationTechnologyScience & HealthArtificial IntelligenceAI v the MindCultureFilm & TVMusicArt & DesignStyleBooksEntertainment NewsTravelDestinationsAfricaAntarcticaAsiaAustralia and PacificCaribbean & BermudaCentral AmericaEuropeMiddle EastNorth AmericaSouth AmericaWorld’s TableCulture & ExperiencesAdventuresThe SpeciaListEarthNatural WondersWeather & ScienceClimate SolutionsSustainable BusinessGreen LivingVideoLiveLive NewsLive SportHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureTravelEarthVideoLiveAudioWeatherNewslettersTrump classified documents case dismissed by Florida judgeJust nowBy Madeline Halpert, Ana Faguy, BBC NewsSharePoolA Florida judge has dismissed the US justice department's classified documents case against Donald Trump in a huge victory for the former president just days after a gunman attempted to assassinate him.

Judge Aileen Cannon granted Trump's motion to dismiss the federal case on the basis that the justice department's appointment of special prosecutor Jack Smith violates the Appointments Clause of the US Constitution.

Trump pleaded not guilty to several charges in the case over his handling of classified documents, including willful retention of national defence information.

Dozens of classified files were found in Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, including in a shower and storage room, after Trump left the White House in 2021.

"The Court is convinced that Special Counsel’s 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 Cannon concluded in her 93-page order.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cz5rpdrxevro

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