The judge overseeing former President Donald Trump’s classified documents case denied his request to dismiss the charges against him, rejecting his defense that the Presidential Records Act granted him protection from prosecution—delivering a win to Special Counsel Jack Smith’s office, which is sparring with the Trump-nominated judge.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump attends a campaign event on April 02, 2024 in Grand Rapids, ... [+]
Judge Aileen Cannon ruled Thursday that the Presidential Records Act does not apply to the 32 charges accusing him of mishandling classified documents in violation of the Espionage Act, which regulates unlawful retention of national defense information.
Trump claimed that the Presidential Records Act, which applies to “highly personal information, such as diaries, journals, and medical records,” allowed him to designate the 11,000-some records he is accused of bringing with him to Mar-A-Lago—including more than 100 documents with classified markings—as personal, a premise widely rebuked by legal experts.
This is a developing story and will be updated.