Donald Trump’s latest attempts to have the criminal charges for illegally holding onto classified government documents were dismissed by a federal judge on Thursday (Mar 14).
The ruling by US district judge Aileen Cannon comes after a day-long hearing in federal court in Fort Pierce, Florida where Trump’s team alleged that the charges against him were “unconstitutionally vague” and the judge expressed doubts about the ex-president’s objections to the case.
Trump’s objections and the ruling against him
Donald Trump had asked the judge to dismiss the indictment against him on several fronts. One argument labelled “dubious” by The Guardian contended that the Espionage Act was “unconstitutionally vague” because it did not clearly define penalties for a former president retaining classified documents.
Another argument centred on the Republican’s — who just so happens to be a major contender in the 2024 Presidential race — assertion that as President he was allowed under the Presidential Records Act to designate classified documents as personal records, thereby permitting him to keep them at his Mar-a-Lago club.
However, Cannon, appointed by Trump himself, appeared unconvinced by both arguments. While she did not immediately rule from the bench, she swiftly denied the vagueness argument after the hearing concluded.
“Although the Motion raises various arguments warranting serious consideration, the Court ultimately determines, following lengthy oral argument, that resolution of the overall question presented depends too greatly on contested instructional questions about still-fluctuating definitions of statutory terms/phrases as charged,” she wrote, as quoted by CNN.
It is widely anticipated that the claim based on the Presidential Records Act will also be dismissed. Cannon remarked that classified documents are government property and remarked that she found it “difficult to see” how Trump’s assertion that he could convert them into personal records could get him the “dismissal of the indictment”.
In addition to the vagueness and Presidential Records Act claims, Trump also argued for presidential immunity, contending that his actions regarding classified records were official acts of his presidency.
A major setback
The rejection, although expected, marks a major setback for Trump.
As per The Guardian, defendants in Espionage Act cases often challenge the statute’s vagueness in attempts to have charges reduced and Trump was no exception.
Trump’s efforts to dismiss the indictment, which accuses him of retaining national defence information and obstructing justice, have been far-fetched. His motions merely sought to avoid accountability for holding materials on US nuclear weapons capabilities and impeding the government’s retrieval efforts.
Other filings by former US president Donald Trump include claims that the appointment of special counsel Jack Smith was illegal and assertions that charges related to retaining nuclear secrets should be dismissed because of the timing of his “Q” security clearance cancellation.
(With inputs from agencies)
