Donald Trump was seeking the return of personal property seized in the Mar-a-Lago attack, a judge in a classified documents case has revealed.
After leaving the White House in January 2021, President Trump faced 40 charges in Judge Eileen Cannon’s court for allegedly handling classified materials seized from his Mar-a-Lago mansion in Palm Beach, Florida. He faces federal charges. Trump is also accused of obstructing government efforts. Federal authorities retrieve them.
The former president has maintained his innocence and said the incident was part of a political witch hunt. Cannon, who dismissed all charges against Trump, also handled the case against Ryan Routh, who was accused of trying to assassinate the Republican presidential candidate at the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach in September. are.
On Tuesday, a federal judge appointed by President Trump denied Routh’s request to recuse himself from the case.
Donald Trump speaks at a press conference in the Mar-a-Lago Club ballroom on October 29, 2024 in Palm Beach, Florida. President Trump asked the FBI to return his personal property after the FBI raid… Donald speaks during a press conference in the ballroom of the Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Florida, on October 29, 2024.・Mr. Trump. President Trump has asked the FBI to return his personal property after the agency raided Mar-a-Lago for presidential records. Other Joe Radle/Getty Images
Routh, 58, is scheduled to go on trial on February 10 on charges of attempting to assassinate a presidential candidate. Assault on a federal employee. possession of a firearm in furtherance of a violent crime; Possession of a firearm by a former felon, possession of a firearm with obliterated serial number.
Routh did not fire on September 15, but is said to have fled after Secret Service agents noticed a rifle protruding from a fence a few holes from where Trump was playing. are. Routh was arrested later that day and pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Routh’s lawyers argued that Cannon had shown bias against Trump in the classified documents case and would therefore be biased against the man accused of trying to kill the former president.
Newsweek reached out to the Trump campaign and Routh’s attorney for comment via email on Wednesday.
In a written response Tuesday, Cannon recalled that President Trump applied for the return of his personal property after an FBI raid that seized thousands of pages of presidential records.
Mr. Cannon approved his request to appoint a special master to clean up personal property from questionable presidential records. However, prosecutors appealed Cannon’s decision to the Eleventh Circuit, which blocked Cannon from appointing a special judge.
In a written ruling Tuesday to Routh’s lawyers, Cannon rejected their argument that the special masters controversy proved her pro-Trump bias.
She said attempts to link Routh’s case to the Trump secrets case were “a far-fetched assumption” and that his claims “present facts and law that justify a departure from the general principle of non-repudiation.” “There is no evidence of ‘pervasive bigotry,'” he said. Federal regulations state that “prejudice is required to invoke the exception.”
Regarding Trump’s request for the return of his assets, she said, “This is a civil action in which former President Trump, as plaintiff, seeks the return of his assets in a pre-indictment capacity and other related relief, including the appointment of a special director to review the materials.” I wrote. Seized by federal law enforcement officers. ”
“This case was dismissed for lack of jurisdiction in December 2022,” she wrote, following the Eleventh Circuit’s decision to vacate the special lead judgment.
“In contrast, this case presents distinctly different charges and allegations involving an assassination attempt on former President Trump, a leading presidential candidate, with additional firearms-related allegations. “Nothing to suggest the existence of an individual or alleged victim” alone would justify designation of “the same or related” cases for purposes of recusal or other analysis.” she wrote.
When Cannon dismisses the Trump classified documents case on July 15, he appoints “private citizen” Jack Smith as the Justice Department prosecutor in charge of all federal indictments of Donald Trump. He pointed out that there was no constitutional basis for this.
Mr. Smith is currently appealing that decision to the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals.
