(WASHINGTON) — Federal Judge Aileen Cannon, who is overseeing former President Donald Trump’s classified documents case, has just denied one of a series of defense motions to dismiss many of the counts against him, according to a new order issued late Monday afternoon.
Cannon did, however, agree to strike one paragraph from the indictment, though it’s not linked to any particular charge in the indictment.
In her order, Cannon expressed agreement with Trump’s team that “much of the language” in Special Counsel Jack Smith’s speaking indictment of Trump and his two co-defendants “is legally unnecessary.”
She further points to “the risks that can flow from a prosecutor’s decision to include in a charging document an extensive account of his or her view of the facts, especially in cases of public interest.”
Last June, Trump pleaded not guilty to a 37-count indictment related to his handling of classified materials, after prosecutors said he repeatedly refused to return hundreds of documents containing classified information ranging from U.S. nuclear secrets to the nation’s defense capabilities, and took steps to thwart the government’s efforts to get the documents back.
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