Special Counsel Jack Smith has swiftly responded to U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon’s surprising dismissal of the case against former President Donald Trump concerning classified documents. The Department of Justice (DOJ) has given Smith the green light to challenge the ruling at the 11th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, setting the stage for a significant legal showdown.
Cannon’s ruling on Monday, where she deemed Smith’s appointment as special counsel unconstitutional, effectively brought to a halt one of the federal cases against Trump. The former president was facing 40 charges related to the mishandling of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.
Peter Carr, a spokesperson for Smith, defended the special counsel’s appointment with a brief but clear statement. “The dismissal of the case goes against the consistent findings of all prior courts that the Attorney General is legally empowered to appoint a Special Counsel. The Department of Justice has permitted the Special Counsel to challenge the court’s decision,” Carr stated.
The DOJ’s choice to contest the ruling comes at a time when the case has attracted national attention. If upheld, Cannon’s ruling could potentially impact the role of special counsels in future investigations. The appeal process is likely to address the constitutional concerns raised by Cannon regarding the appointment of special counsels.
Trump’s legal team, on the other hand, welcomed the ruling. Christopher Kise, one of Trump’s attorneys, praised Cannon’s decision emphatically. “Judge Cannon has reinstated the rule of law and made the right decision for America,” Kise asserted. He denounced the prosecution as “groundless, illegal, and politically motivated,” urging Smith to “close his office and put an end to this unconstitutional misuse of power.”
Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee for president, hailed Cannon’s ruling on his social media platform, Truth Social, portraying it as a validation of his claims that the investigations against him are politically motivated “Witch Hunts.”
As both sides prepare for an intense legal battle, the decision of the 11th Circuit will be pivotal. It could impact not only this high-profile case but also potentially the entire landscape of future special counsel investigations.