Setting the stage for another legal showdown, Judge Aileen Cannon’s court order on Thursday slapped down Special Counsel Jack Smith’s push for secrecy.
In the development within the legal proceedings surrounding former President Donald Trump’s classified documents case, Judge Cannon criticized Jack Smith’s extensive plea for confidentiality over FBI interviews. The dispute intensified as Judge Cannon, a Trump appointee presiding over this high-profile case, openly challenged Smith’s “sweeping request” to conceal details integral to the investigation.
At the heart of the dispute is the judge’s decision to release Walt Nauta’s voluntary FBI interview from 2022, a day before a crucial hearing on defense motions. Nauta, Trump’s former personal assistant, along with Carlos De Oliveira, a Mar-a-Lago maintenance worker, face accusations of conspiring to obstruct justice by allegedly repositioning boxes of sensitive materials to evade federal recovery efforts.
Special Counsel Smith has repeatedly expressed his concerns over disclosing the names of FBI witnesses, citing potential intimidation from Trump supporters. Despite partially acceding to Smith’s request to anonymize identities in certain documents, Judge Cannon decisively rejected other requests for censorship, particularly regarding the substantive statements in Nauta’s FBI interview according to Newsweek. In her ruling, Judge Cannon referred to the inadequacy of Smith’s generalized justifications, highlighting a strong public interest in accessing these materials. The stance marks a continuation of Cannon’s critical approach towards Smith’s handling of the case.
NEW: Judge Cannon's hits against Special Counsel Jack Smith's demands for secrecy keep coming.
— Julie Kelly 🇺🇸 (@julie_kelly2) April 11, 2024
In advance of tomorrow's hearing on defense motions, Cannon is authorizing the release of Walt Nauta's voluntary 2022 FBI interview. Should be interesting. pic.twitter.com/j3UP3ER2sO
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