Judge in Trump Mar-a-Lago classified documents case asks why DOJ wants to use out-of-state grand jury as she strikes Jack Smith multiple times
- Judge Aileen Cannon demanded to know why Jack Smith used two grand juries
- Evidence was collected in DC, although charges were laid in Florida
The federal judge in the Donald Trump classified documents case asked prosecutors on Monday why they used grand juries in Florida and Washington to build their case when charges were filed in South Florida.
Judge Aileen Cannon, who was appointed by Trump, has asked Special Counsel Jack Smith and his team to respond by Aug. 22.
“The response must address the legal propriety of using out-of-district grand jury proceedings to continue to investigate and/or request post-indictment hearings on matters relevant to the case currently charged in that district” , she wrote in court. deposit.
Trump appeared in federal court in Miami in June to plead not guilty to charges related to his handling of government documents and an alleged cover-up.
The indictment has since been expanded to charge him and two aides – Walt Nauta and Carlos De Oliveria – with trying to evade government efforts to recover some 32 classified documents.
Judge Aileen Cannon (seen here on video during Senate testimony) asked Special Counsel Jack Smith on Monday why he used grand juries in Florida and Washington to build their case when charges were filed in South Florida.
Special Counsel Jack Smith filed for a protective order on Friday to prevent former President Donald Trump and his team from sharing discovery documents with unauthorized persons.
Much of the case was constructed in Washington, DC, where prosecutors questioned witnesses before a grand jury.
But in June, reports surfaced that a second grand jury, this time in Miami, had begun hearing evidence.
Legal experts have suggested that could mean charges could be brought in both Florida and Washington.
In a recent court filing, prosecutors said they continue to use the grand jury in Washington even after Trump was indicted in June as they investigate allegations of obstruction.
Cannon asked Smith to justify the use of the two grand juries in a court order that dealt a blow to the special counsel’s strategy.
He had asked to present additional evidence “under seal” – preventing its publication – in order to protect the secrecy of a grand jury, and he asked the judge for a hearing to determine whether Nauta’s lawyer had too many conflicts of opinion. interests to ensure proper representation of his client.
Cannon denied his request to introduce evidence under seal.
Cannon denied Smith’s request to introduce sealed evidence in an order filed Monday and demanded explanations from the two grand juries
Trump appeared with Walta Nauta in Des Moines Iowa late last month
Carlos De Oliveira, personal assistant to former US President Donald Trump and maintenance manager at Mar-a-Lago, has arrived in federal court in Miami. He is charged with conspiracy to obstruct an investigation into classified documents
“The Authorization Motion and Supplement manifestly fail to satisfy the burden of establishing a sufficient legal or factual basis to justify sealing the Motion and Supplement,” she wrote.
The case is just one of three Trump faces, even as the race for 2024 heats up.
The 77-year-old former president is the favorite for the Republican nomination.
Last week, he appeared in federal court in Washington to plead not guilty to conspiring to defraud the United States by preventing Congress from certifying Democratic President Joe Biden’s victory, depriving American voters of their right to a fair election.
On Monday, police closed roads and patrolled with dogs around the Atlanta courthouse. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is reportedly in the final stages of her investigation into Trump
Food carts stayed away and the usually bustling area was empty on Monday
And in April he turned himself in to authorities in New York where he is accused of falsifying business documents as part of a silent payment to a porn star. He pleaded not guilty in this case.
Meanwhile, Atlanta police set up barriers around the city’s courthouse on Monday as the city prepares for an arraignment in another case related to the 2020 election.
Officers closed roads, dogs patrolled the area and food trucks stayed away from the normally busy court district.
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is in the final stages of her investigation into Trump’s efforts to reverse his defeat in the swing state of Georgia.
If charged, it will be the fourth time he has been criminally charged since March.
