A hearing is set to take place on Friday in the case involving former President Trump's classified records, where the judge is considering the legality of the appointment of U.S. Special Counsel Jack Smith and the funding of his investigations. The trial, which was postponed indefinitely by Judge Aileen Cannon of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, is now under scrutiny for the appointment and funding of the special counsel.
Amici, including former Attorney General Ed Meese, have raised concerns about the appointment of Smith as special counsel, arguing that it violates the appointments clause of the Constitution. Meese contends that Smith, a private citizen at the time of his appointment, lacks the authority to represent the United States in the court.
Attorney General Merrick Garland defended his decision to appoint Smith, citing regulations that have been in place for decades. However, Meese and others argue that the appointment of a private citizen as a special counsel is not authorized by any statutes or constitutional provisions.
The case involves an investigation into potential violations of the law related to the 2020 presidential election and the certification of the Electoral College vote. The hearing on Friday will allow various parties to present their arguments before the court.
Meanwhile, additional hearings and deadlines have been scheduled by Judge Cannon, with Trump facing charges stemming from Smith's investigation into his possession of classified materials. Trump has pleaded not guilty to all counts and is set to be sentenced in a separate case in Manhattan.
The judge's decision to indefinitely postpone the trial follows the unsealing of documents related to the FBI's investigation into Trump and the raid on his Mar-a-Lago estate in 2022. The documents shed light on the personnel involved in the raid and provide a timeline of events.
