Appeals Court Approves Dismissal of Trump’s Classified Documents Case

An appeals court dismissed charges against Donald Trump related to mishandling classified documents, effectively ending Special Counsel Jack Smith’s prosecution of Trump. The charges included retaining national defense information and directing the deletion of security video at his Mar-a-Lago resort. Smith’s office sought to dismiss the charges on Monday, which were granted by U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan. Trump’s attorney did not comment on the ruling, while Smith’s office declined to do so. The courts had dismissed the documents case against Trump previously due to the illegality of Smith’s appointment as special counsel, but federal prosecutors had sought to restore the case. The conclusion of these cases was expected once Trump was re-elected, as a sitting president cannot be prosecuted. Smith and his team planned to resign before Trump’s re-inauguration. Two criminal cases against Trump in New York and Georgia involving hush money payments and election interference are still pending, with Trump claiming presidential immunity and disputing the motivations behind the prosecutions. Trump pleaded not guilty in both cases and argued that they were politically motivated. His sentencing in the New York case has been postponed, while the Georgia case is on hold due to conflict of interest allegations against the district attorney. Trump continues to maintain his innocence and assert that the cases against him were unjust.

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