Judge Cannon Rejects Recusal Calls, Hears Arguments on Jack Smith's Appointment in Trump Classified Documents Case

Jun 21, 2024, 09:15 AM

Judge Aileen Cannon, overseeing Donald Trump's classified documents case, has rejected calls from her colleagues to recuse herself. Two federal judges, including Chief Judge Cecilia Altonaga of South Florida, urged Cannon to step aside due to potential bias and bad optics. Despite these concerns, Cannon remains on the case and is currently hearing arguments on the legality of Special Counsel Jack Smith's appointment. Trump's legal team argues that Smith's appointment was unconstitutional and seeks to dismiss the case. The court has scheduled three days of hearings to address these issues. This effort began in June 2023, shortly after Cannon was assigned the case by an appointee of former President George W. Bush.