Judge in Florida dismisses former President Trump’s classified documents trial
UPDATE (8:16 AM): Following the announcement of the dismissal, Arizona Representative Raul Grijalva issued the following the statement:
"The dismissal of this case for a supposed unconstitutional appointment of special counsel by a Trump-appointed judge reflects clear bias for the former president and the outlying opinion of the far-right wing Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. Special counsels have been commonly used for more than a hundred years to ensure the impartiality of investigations and potential prosecutions. To dismiss this case would be a miscarriage of justice. I urge Attorney General [Merrick] Garland and Special Counsel [Jack] Smith to appeal this egregious decision to the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals."
(NBC, KYMA/KECY) - The Florida judge overseeing Donald Trump's classified documents trial dismissed the case against the former president Monday on the grounds that the appointment of and funding for special counsel Jack Smith was illegal.
Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump nominee to the bench, said in her 93-page decision that Smith's appointment was "unlawful" and "unconditional."
The decision came on the first day of the Republican National Convention (RNC), and following an assassination attempt on the former president over the weekend.
The Justice Department, the Special Counsel's Office and the Trump campaign did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
