Julie Kelly, an investigative reporter who has closely followed the case classified documents case against President Donald Trump, updated her following to new filings in the case:
Forbes is reporting:
U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon formally dismissed the federal charges against former President Donald Trump for allegedly withholding White House documents on Monday, ruling Special Counsel Jack Smith was unlawfully appointed—the latest in a series of blows to criminal cases against the former president.
KEY FACTS
Cannon sided with Trump’s request to dismiss the charges against him under the Constitution’s Appointment Clause, as the ex-president claimed Smith’s appointment by U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland violated the law.
The judge—a Trump appointee—ruled someone with Smith’s level of power should only have been appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate.
She also ruled Smith’s appointment violated the Constitution’s Appropriations Clause, because Congress had not appropriated funds to Smith’s investigations as required under federal law.
The Justice Department has not yet responded to a request for comment.