Jack Smith Completes Withdrawal from Investigations into Trump by Withdrawing Appeal in Mar-a-Lago Classified Documents Case

Special Counsel Jack Smith’s request for the United States Circuit to drop his appeal of Judge Aileen Cannon’s dismissal of the Mar-a-Lago case against Trump ends the special counsel’s pursuit of the 45th president, who won the election as the 47th.

Mr. Smith had asked the 11th Circuit to overrule Judge Cannon’s decision that he was unlawfully appointed by Attorney General Garland. He ruled that the flaw in his hiring (which was not confirmed by the Senate) could be remedied only by dismissing the charges he brought against Trump and two others for hiding secret documents at Mar-a-Lago.

Now, Mr. Smith explains: “Dismissal of the challenge to defendant Trump would leave in effect the district court’s decision to dismiss the indictment without prejudice to him.” The cases against the president-elect’s two defendants, Waltine Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira, will continue. But Trump can pardon them after taking the oath of office.

Mr. Smith adds that he “consulted with counsel for defendant Trump, who did not object to this motion.” Mr. Smith adds that he “consulted with counsel for defendant Trump, who did not object to this motion.” If the tour drivers agree to the motion to dismiss the appeal, the lawsuit against Trump for violations of the Espionage Act and obstruction laws would be dismissed “without prejudice,” meaning the case could be reopened at a later date. The special counsel also requested that the lawsuit filed against Trump on January 6 be dismissed on similar terms.

The documents case against Trump was once thought to be the strongest of the four criminal cases against the president-elect, due to the tons of documents found when a team of FBI agents searched his Palm Beach mansion. But Mr. Smith’s prosecution ran into an obstacle in the form of Judge Aileen Cannon, who slowed down the government’s full push for a trial before dismissing the case outright.

But Judge Cannon was left in a difficult situation when he ruled that Mr Smith had been appointed unlawfully. at the Supreme Court United States / Nixon It turned out that the attorney general had ruled that he had the authority to appoint junior prosecutors; this is a precedent that circuit officials in the District of Columbia have adopted as binding. However, Judge Cannon ruled that this was an “acceptance” and therefore not binding.