Much has been made of the fact that the judge in the federal case against Donald Trump in Florida is Aileen Cannon, whom Trump himself appointed to the bench. Cannon has delivered decisions in the past that were considered favorable to Trump, and her potential unspoken leanings and loyalties have been the subject of fervent speculation in the media and in legal circles.
Trump, arraigned in Miami, pleaded not guilty last month to a 37-count indictment that he mishandled classified documents after leaving office. Lawyers from both the Special Counsel’s office and Trump’s team are scheduled to meet with Cannon today, discussing critical procedural matters in the case — not least the timing of a trial.
(The two sides have strong disagreements about what constitutes a “speedy trial” in the case.)
But at least one legal insider, former Federal Prosecutor Renato Mariotti, says that the more recent action by Special Counsel Jack Smith — sending a letter informing Trump he is a target in the Jan 6 investigation — drastically changes the balance of Trump’s legal challenges, and “diminishes” the power and prominence of Cannon’s rulings.
This means that Trump will be indicted in the January 6th investigation.
— Renato Mariotti (@renato_mariotti) July 18, 2023
This indictment will likely be brought in D.C. federal court, which means that the importance of Judge Aileen Cannon’s rulings in the Mar-a-Lago case are diminished. https://t.co/564DiIpMQg
Mariotti takes the letter to mean, as Trump does, that the former President “will be indicted in the January 6th investigation.”
“This indictment will likely be brought in D.C. federal court,” Mariotti says, “which means that the importance of Judge Aileen Cannon’s rulings in the Mar-a-Lago case are diminished.”
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