Big relief for Trump as US judge dismisses classified documents case against him
File photo of Donald Trump.
A judge in the US state of Florida on Monday (July 15)dismissed the criminal case against former president Donald Trump accusing him of mishandling classified information, finding that the appointment of Special Counsel Jack Smith was unconstitutional.
A report by the news agency Associated Press said that US District JudgeAileen Cannon granted the defence motion to dismiss the case,voiding a prosecution that at the time it was brought was seen as the most perilous of the multiple legal threats Trump faced.
A look at the case
Trump was facing31 counts of willful retention of national defence information, each punishable by up to 10 years in prison.He also faced charges of conspiracy to obstruct justice and making false statements.
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The current Republican presidential candidateallegedly kept classified documents -- which included records from the Pentagon and CIA -- unsecured at his Mar-a-Lago home and thwarted efforts to retrieve them.
Lawyers of the former presidentargued that special counsel Smith was illicitly appointed in violation of the Constitution’s Appointments Clause and that his office was improperly funded by the Justice Department.
Smith’s team had vigorously contested the argument during hearings before Cannon in June.
'Just the first step'
Reacting to Cannon's decision, Trump said that all cases against him should be dismissed. "This dismissal of the Lawless Indictment in Florida should be just the first step, followed quickly by the dismissal of ALL the Witch Hunts," the 78-year-old said in a post on Truth Social.
Cannon's decision comes as Trump prepares to accept the presidential nomination at the Republican National Convention (RNC) in Milwaukee following an assassination attempt on Saturday (July 13).
Trump was not majorly wounded but suffered an injury in his right ear. The shooter, identified as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, was shot dead.
(With inputs from agencies)