In a significant legal development on Tuesday, the U.S. 11th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled to dismiss the criminal case against former President Donald Trump, which accused him of illegally retaining classified documents. The decision follows a request from federal prosecutors, who stated they no longer wished to pursue the appeal against Trump, now preparing to return to the White House on January 20.
This ruling means that both federal cases against Trump—related to the classified documents and the alleged efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election—have been dropped. The legal victories come just weeks before Trump is set to resume his presidential duties.
Earlier in the week, a federal judge had dismissed a separate case in Florida, which accused Trump of plotting to reverse his 2020 election loss. This ruling came at the request of Special Counsel Jack Smith, who cited a long-standing Justice Department policy that bars the prosecution of a sitting president. The same policy led to the dismissal of the documents case, with prosecutors acknowledging that Trump’s actions were not prosecutable while he was in office.
Despite the dismissals, prosecutors have indicated that they will continue to appeal the case concerning two of Trump’s associates—Walt Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira—who were charged with attempting to obstruct the investigation into the classified documents. Both aides, along with Trump, have pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Trump has consistently denied any wrongdoing in connection with both the classified documents case and the election-related charges, and the legal team has vowed to continue to fight the allegations. As the former president prepares for his return to the White House, the legal battles surrounding him remain ongoing, with the outcome of these appeals still in play.
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