Federal Judge Dismisses Classified Documents Case Against Trump

U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon has dismissed the U.S. Justice Department’s classified documents case against President Donald J. Trump citing in the written decision that: “The Superseding Indictment is DISMISSED because Special Counsel Smith’s appointment violates the Appointments Clause of the United States Constitution”.

The United States Constitution only grants Congress or the President Of The United States the authority to appoint a special counsel, such as Jack Smith, not the U.S. Attorney General. Smith had previously contested this argument with lower courts and a spokesperson for Smith said the U.S. Justice Department has authorized an appeal, however, the ruling and appeal will add months to the case.

Judge Cannon went on to write: “None of the statutes cited as legal authority for the appointment…gives the Attorney General broad inferior-officer appointing power or bestows upon him the right to appoint a federal officer with the kind of prosecutorial power wielded by Special Counsel Smith…Nor do the Special Counsel’s strained statutory arguments, appeals to inconsistent history, or reliance on out-of-circuit authority persuade otherwise.”

In conclusion of the 93-page Order, Justice Cannon wrote: "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 Aileen Cannon granted President Trump's motion to dismiss the federal case on the basis that the U.S Justice Department's appointment of special prosecutor Jack Smith violates the Appointments Clause of the U.S. Constitution.