Judge Aileen Cannon told former President Donald Trump's co-defendants in his federal Florida case that they cannot look at classified documents, court records show.
The Trump-appointed judge sided with special prosecutor Jack Smith and barred Walt Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira from receiving access to secret materials produced in discovery, Guardian reporter Hugo Lowell was among the first to report.
This is one of four criminal court cases Trump faces in 2024 as he inches toward becoming the Republican nominee in the upcoming presidential election.
Trump has pleaded not guilty to charges that he willfully retained national defense information, conspired to obstruct justice and corruptly concealed documents. He also argues he's the target of a political witch hunt.
Smith contends Trump scattered classified records across his Florida social club Mar-a-Lago.
Cannon has previously been criticized for aiding Trump's team in the case. Dennis Aftergut, a former federal prosecutor, and Laurence Tribe, a renowned legal professor, argued in a Slate article, "Judge Aileen Cannon Is Quietly Sabotaging the Trump Classified Documents Case."
They note that Trump appointed Cannon to the bench back in 2020 followed by Senate confirmation just days after he lost the presidential election to Biden.
The legal minds suggest now that Trump is facing several legal quagmires, specifically criminal counts alleging he obstructed justice and hoarded classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate, Cannon is stepping up for him.
"It’s deeply offensive to the rule of law for judges to bend the law to benefit those who put them on the bench," Aftergut and Tribe state. "Sadly, Cannon does just that."
