Federal judge dismisses Trump’s classified documents case

U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon on Monday granted former President Donald Trump’s request to dismiss the Justice Department’s charges that he mishandled classified documents. Cannon found that the department violated the Constitution with its appointment of special counsel Jack Smith for the Trump investigation. The Justice Department should have obtained congressional approval before appointing Smith, Cannon ruled.

What does this mean? Former President Donald Trump is no longer facing charges for allegedly mishandling classified documents from his time in office. He denied wrongdoing the entire time he faced the charges, calling them part of a political witch hunt against him. The Justice Department has granted Smith permission to appeal Cannon’s decision, special counsel’s office spokesman Peter Carr told WORLD on Monday.

The decision comes as Trump survived an apparent assassination attempt over the weekend at a campaign rally in Butler, Penn. His popularity in the polls has increased since then. Trump praised Cannon’s decision on Monday and called for the dismissal of other prosecutors’ cases against him. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., on Monday also applauded Cannon’s ruling. He called it a critical step toward unifying the country and restoring Americans’ faith in the U.S. justice system.

What is the status of Trump’s federal election case? The U.S. Supreme Court earlier this month ordered a Washington, D.C. district court to review other charges against Trump alleging he sought to overturn the 2020 presidential election results. The high court determined that presidents have immunity from criminal prosecution for official acts they take while in office. The district court has to decide whether Trump’s actions on Jan. 6, 2021, were official or not, the Supreme Court said.

Dig deeper: Read R. Albert Mohler Jr.’s column in WORLD Opinions about the attempt on Trump’s life.