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Snapshot 1:Mon, Jul 15, 2024 4:55:57 PM GMT last edited by Brian

Judge Dismisses Trump Classified Docs Case

Above: June 27, 2024: Republican presidential candidate, former U.S. President Donald Trump reacts during the CNN Presidential Debate at the CNN Studios in Atlanta, Georgia. Image copyright: Justin Sullivan/Staff/Getty Images News via Getty Images

The Facts

  • Federal US Judge Aileen Cannon ruled Monday that the Justice Department's (DOJ) appointment of Jack Smith as a special prosecutor to probe former Pres. Donald Trump's classified documents case was "unlawful."

  • Cannon ruled that the appointment of Smith violated the Constitution's "Appointments Clause," which states that "Ambassadors," "Ministers and Consuls," "Judges of the Supreme Court," and "all other Officers of the United States" must be confirmed by the Senate, which Smith was not.


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