An appeals court has dismissed charges related to Donald Trump’s alleged mishandling of classified documents, effectively ending Special Counsel Jack Smith’s prosecution of Trump. The charges against Trump included allegations of retaining national defense information and directing the deletion of security video at his Mar-a-Lago resort. U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan granted the dismissal of charges related to Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election as well.
These dismissals come after a federal judge initially dismissed the documents case against Trump in July, citing the illegality of Smith’s appointment as special counsel. The conclusion of these cases was expected following Trump’s re-election, as the long-standing Justice Department policy prevents the prosecution of a sitting president. Smith and his team are expected to resign before Trump’s inauguration and file a formal report on their charges.
Two remaining criminal cases against Trump, involving hush money payments in New York and election interference in Georgia, are also in limbo. Trump’s attorney argued for presidential immunity protection in the New York case, which led to a postponement of Trump’s sentencing. The Georgia case has been delayed due to conflict of interest allegations against the prosecutor.
Trump continues to claim that Smith’s prosecutions were politically motivated and has pleaded not guilty in both cases. He described the cases as “empty and lawless” and criticized them as a political hijacking. Despite these legal challenges, Trump expressed his perseverance and sense of victory over what he sees as unjust prosecutions.
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