Judge Aileen Cannon rejects Trump’s 'meritless' claims challenging FBI's Mar-a-Lago search warrant in classified docs case

WASHINGTON, DC: Judge Aileen Cannon has denied former President Donald Trump's motion that claimed the FBI provided false or misleading information to justify the 2022 search warrant for his Mar-a-Lago estate.

Cannon's decision came after determining that Trump's legal team had not provided sufficient evidence to support their claims.

The ruling halts Trump's effort to discard the classified documents case but leaves the door open for further hearings on two other arguments from the former president.

Donald Trump sought Franks hearing to challenge his classified documents case warrant

Trump, who was indicted last June by the US Department of Justice's special counsel Jack Smith on 40 federal charges, including allegations of illegally retaining classified documents and obstructing the government's retrieval efforts, had sought a Franks hearing to challenge the warrant.

However, in her 11-page ruling, Cannon stated that Trump's claims that the FBI misrepresented facts were "largely meritless," Politico reported. 

Cannon wrote, "[N]one of the omitted information — even if added to the affidavit in support of the warrant — would have defeated a finding of probable cause” to search Trump’s home.

Judge Aileen Cannon will allow further hearings but insists it's not a 'mini-trial'

While the ruling denies Donald Trump's effort to discard the bulk of the evidence gathered from his home, Judge Aileen Cannon agreed to schedule an evidentiary hearing on two of the former president's other efforts to toss key pieces of the prosecutors’ case.

That includes a challenge to another provision within the warrant and a request that she reexamine a decision that lifted attorney-client privilege from a former Trump attorney Evan Corcoran and allowed prosecutors to access some of his files.

She dismissed concerns from special counsel Jack Smith’s team, writing it would not “devolve into a ‘mini trial.’”

Internet reacts to Judge Aileen Cannon’s ruling on Donald Trump's classified documents case

Judge Aileen Cannon, who was appointed by Donald Trump in 2020, faced criticism for her way of handling the classified documents case. Internet reactions to her recent ruling were mixed.

One user on X (formerly Twitter) wrote, "No big deal. Case won’t be happening before the election either way."

Another commented, "Cannon is going to dismiss the entire case anyways, way too much prosecutorial misconduct."

"She seems to change her Trump-supportive ways in this case, just when it's apparent Special Counsel is going to take her to the 11th Circuit," one wrote.

Another questioned, "The same judge the Dems are trying to get removed because she's in Trump's pocket?"

Others criticized her decision to schedule further hearings.

"She is aware these hearings are baseless, but she will persist in scheduling additional hearings to prevent the main case from occurring before the election," one user stated.

Another wrote, "She's just kicking the can down the road again. It's disappointing and pathetic."

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