The federal judge overseeing the classified documents case against former President Donald Trump delivered a huge blow to special counsel Jack Smith on Monday.
U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon pressed the Biden Justice Department on its conduct this far in the case and “ordered DOJ special counsel Jack Smith to unseal two filings and give a legal explanation as to why a Washington, D.C. grand jury is investigating matters” instead of one located in South Florida, where she sits and where the charges were filed, the Daily Caller reported.
Cannon’s order says: “The Special Counsel states in conclusory terms that the supplement should be sealed from public view ‘to comport with grand jury secrecy,’ but the motion for leave and the supplement plainly fail to satisfy the burden of establishing a sufficient legal or factual basis to warrant sealing the motion and supplement.”
“Among other topics as raised in the Motion, the response shall address the legal propriety of using an out-of-district grand jury proceeding to continue to investigate and/or to seek post-indictment hearings on matters pertinent to the instant indicted matter in this district,” the order continued.
Cannon’s response came in connection with the special counsel’s motion for a “Garcia” hearing to address a possible conflict of interest arising from attorney Stanley Woodward, who is representing defendant Walt Nauta and other individuals who might be called as witnesses in the classified documents case.
Trump and Nauta are slated to be arraigned on August 10 in connection with the classified documents case. On July 27, Smith issued a superseding indictment, introducing further charges against Trump and new charges against Mar-a-Lago employee Carlos De Oliveira, who is accused of handling boxes at Trump’s Florida estate, the Daily Caller added.
On Tuesday, Smith brought forth a nother indictment against Trump, charging him with alleged involvement in contesting the 2020 presidential election results and his alleged role in the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot.
At the arraignment in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, the former president entered a plea of not guilty and accused Smith of “persecution” in relation to the latest charges.
