US special counsel appeals dismissal of Trump’s secret documents case
Al Jazeera
Former president and Republican 2024 nominee is accused of mishandling classified government files at his Florida home.
United States Special Counsel Jack Smith has appealed a judge’s decision to throw out a criminal case that accuses former President Donald Trump of mishandling secret government documents.
Smith filed the appeal on Wednesday with the Atlanta-based 11th US Court of Appeals, just days after US District Judge Aileen Cannon threw out the case in a major victory for the ex-president and 2024 Republican presidential nominee.
Cannon ruled on Monday that Smith’s 2022 appointment violated the US Constitution because Congress did not authorise Attorney General Merrick Garland to name a special counsel with the degree of power and independence wielded by Smith.
Trump, who appointed Cannon to the bench in 2020, immediately welcomed the decision and called for other indictments against him to also be dismissed.
“This dismissal of the Lawless Indictment in Florida should be just the first step, followed quickly by the dismissal of ALL the Witch Hunts,” he wrote on his Truth social platform.
