The judge cancels the entire procedure.

The judge in Donald Trump’s impeachment trial on charges of withholding classified documents after he left the White House threw out the entire proceeding on Monday, July 15, ruling that the appointment of special counsel Jack Smith was illegal. In fact, Donald Trump’s lawyers had argued that Mr. Smith’s office was funded in part by the Justice Department and that his appointment as special counsel was inconsistent with the law — a claim Mr. Smith had strongly contested during a hearing last month.

“The Court is convinced that the prosecution of Special Prosecutor Smith in this matter violates two pillars of our constitutional system: Congress’s role in appointing officials under the Constitution and Congress’ role in statutory authorization of spending.”“,” writes Judge Ellen Cannon, who is not ruling on the merits of the case. However, the prosecution can appeal the decision.

The Republican presidential nominee in November, who will be formally inaugurated at the party's convention that begins Monday, has been sued along with two of his personal aides over his handling of classified documents at his private residence in Mar-a-Lago, Florida.

Following this decision, Donald Trump called for all legal proceedings against him to be dropped. “As we move forward to unite our nation after the horrific events of Saturday, dismissing the unlawful indictment in Florida must be the first step, followed quickly by reversing all witch hunts.”The Republican presidential candidate, who was the victim of an assassination attempt on Saturday, said on his Truth Social platform, then listed the lawsuits against him.

Documents classified as defense secrets

This is the first time in US history that a former president has faced a federal indictment. He is accused of keeping entire boxes of documents, some classified as defense secrets, after he left Washington in early 2021 and refusing to return them, in violation of federal law.

He is also charged with attempting to destroy evidence in the case. The most serious charge carries a 10-year prison sentence. Judge Cannon has already indefinitely postponed the trial, which was scheduled to begin on May 20.

In the United States, a 1978 law requires every U.S. president to transfer all emails, letters, and other business documents to the National Archives. Another law, relating to espionage, prohibits anyone from keeping classified documents in unauthorized, unsecured locations.