The Facts

• US Judge Aileen Cannon ruled Monday that the US Dept. of Justice's (DOJ) appointment of Jack Smith as a special counsel to probe former Pres. Donald Trump's handling of classified documents was "unlawful" and she dismissed the case.

• Cannon ruled that Smith's appointment violated the Constitution's "Appointments Clause," which requires the appointments of "Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, Judges of the Supreme Court, and all other Officers of the United States" to be confirmed by the Senate.