Judge denies Trump motion to dismiss classified documents case

U.S. District Court Judge Aileen Cannon on Thursday ruled that the charges against former President Donald Trump are unrelated to and unaffected by the Presidential Records Act. She previously denied a separate motion to dismiss the charges against him based on an allegation that they were unconstitutionally vague.

What’s this about? Trump filed a motion earlier this year to dismiss charges alleging that he willfully retained and disclosed classified documents from his time in office. He argued he could keep the records because, as president, he had complete authority to designate them as personal records under the powers granted to him by the Presidential Records Act.

The government argued in its response to that motion that it didn’t matter whether the records were “personal,” because they were still classified and unlawfully retained. Attorneys argued he was not authorized to possess the classified documents even if he had categorized them as personal.

Does the prosecution against Trump continue? Cannon still has yet to rule on another motion from Trump, who is seeking to dismiss many of the charges against him due to presidential immunity. The government has also filed a response against that motion, urging Cannon to deny it.

Dig deeper: From the WORLD archives, read a report about whether raiding Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida before indicting him for retaining the classified documents signaled a “crossing of the Rubicon” in American politics.