In a surprising turn of events, a federal judge in Florida dismissed the case against 45th President Donald Trump regarding his handling of confidential documents. Judge Aileen Cannon ruled on Monday that the appointment of special counsel Jack Smith violated the Constitution.
Judge Cannon stated that Congress must appoint “constitutional officers” and approve spending for such prosecutions.
She wrote, “That role cannot be usurped by the executive branch or diffused elsewhere – whether in this case or in another case, whether in times of heightened national need or not.”
Justice Clarence Thomas previously agreed with that stance, writing, “If there is no law establishing the office that the Special Counsel occupies, then he cannot proceed with this prosecution. A private citizen cannot criminally prosecute anyone, let alone a former President.”
Trump, 78, had been accused of storing confidential documents at his Mar-a-Lago residence after leaving office and attempting to conceal them.
In a notable coincidence, Trump had told the New York Post’s Michael Goodwin just hours before the ruling that “we hear” Joe Biden and the Justice Department would be dropping the case and additional federal charges related to the 2020 election after the failed assassination attempt against him on Saturday.