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 The charges originally made in June 2023, included allegations that Trump retained national defense information after he left office and directed the deletion of security video at his Mar-a-Lago resort. Smith’s office sought to dismiss these charges, as well as charges related to Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election, which were granted by U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan. A Trump attorney did not immediately comment on the ruling. These cases were two of four criminal cases against Trump, and their conclusion was expected once he was re-elected, following Justice Department policy that a sitting president can’t be prosecuted.
Two remaining criminal cases against Trump, a New York case involving hush money payments, and a Georgia election interference case are also in limbo. In the New York case, Trump’s sentencing was postponed due to presidential immunity protections argued by his attorneys. The Georgia case brought by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has been held up due to conflict of interest allegations. Trump has maintained that Smith’s prosecutions were politically motivated and pleaded not guilty in both cases. In a statement, Trump criticized the cases as empty and lawless, portraying them as a political hijacking in the country’s history.
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