Donald Trump was just dealt a bit of a blow by a judge that he appointed.
Thus far, U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon has been hitting Special Counsel Jack Smith with most of the dings.
However, she just issued a protective order regarding the classified documents case that Trump is not going to like very much, reported CBS News.
Keep Them Safe
Trump's team has argued against needing a secure facility to review the classified documents in the case.
Judge Cannon, who was appointed by Trump, disagreed.
Her ruling stated, “The Court finds that this case will involve information that has been classified in the interest of national security. The storage, handling, and control of this information will require special security precautions mandated by statute, executive order, and regulation.
"The purpose of this Protective Order ('Order') is to establish the procedures that must be followed by the Defendant, defense counsel, the parties, and all other individuals who receive access to classified information or documents in connection with this case.
“The procedures set forth in this Order shall apply to all pre-trial, trial, post-trial, and appellate matters concerning classified information in this case and may be modified from time to time by further order of the Court acting under this Court’s inherent supervisory authority to ensure a fair and expeditious trial. The limitations on disclosure of classified information set forth in this Order are binding on Defendant and his counsel and violations may result in criminal and/or civil penalties.
“The Defendant may disclose classified information to the defense as necessary for the preparation of his defense. Any classified information provided to the defense by the government or the Defendant is to be used solely by the defense and solely for the purpose of preparing the defense. The defense may not disclose or cause to be disclosed in connection with this case any information known or reasonably believed to be classified information except as otherwise provided herein."
JUST IN: Judge Cannon has signed an order to govern the handling of classified info in the Trump documents case.
It's the product of a sealed hearing she led yesterday and includes explicit restrictions on what Trump can do with classified info.https://t.co/MfffRg63Vz pic.twitter.com/isAfgMJLPe
— Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) September 13, 2023
The order is 16 pages in length, and it is a clear win for Special Counsel Jack Smith.
Trump's team wanted Mar-a-Lago to be reestablished as a secure facility for document review, which it was during Trump's presidency.
Cannon did not buy that, however, saying the documents could only be reviewed in a SCIF. So, I just don't see why Trump does not build a SCIF at Mar-a-Lago and have it approved by the court if he truly wants to review the documents there.
This trial is set to start in May 2024, which is toward the end of the primary season.
It is one of four indictments and two additional legal suits that Trump will have to deal with during the primary election.
