{"id":2275564,"date":"2024-06-22T04:16:02","date_gmt":"2024-06-22T08:16:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/judge-questions-trump-claim-that-smith-is-part-of-shadow-government\/"},"modified":"2024-06-22T04:21:37","modified_gmt":"2024-06-22T08:21:37","slug":"judge-questions-trump-claim-that-smith-is-part-of-shadow-government","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/judge-questions-trump-claim-that-smith-is-part-of-shadow-government\/","title":{"rendered":"Judge scrutinizes Trump&#8217;s assertion that Smith belongs to a &#8216;shadow government"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fjudge-questions-trump-claim-that-smith-is-part-of-shadow-government%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2275564&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>In\u2063 Florida,\u200c Judge\u2062 Aileen Cannon intensely \u2063questioned attorneys\u2063 regarding the independence \u200dof Special Counsel Jack Smith in the\u200d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/donald-trump-arrested-former-presidents-team-predicts-florida-trial-could-take-two-months\/\" title=\"Former President Donald Trump's team anticipates a two-month trial in Florida following his arrest.\">classified documents \u2063case<\/a> against former\u2062 President Donald Trump.\u2064 During a hearing about Trump&#8217;s request to\u200d dismiss the\u2064 case, which he claimed was\u2064 based on an unlawful appointment by Attorney \u2062General Merrick\u200c Garland,\u2062 Cannon, who \u2063was appointed by \u2064Trump, delved into\u2064 complex legal theories about special counsel \u200bappointments. Although she did not make an immediate \u2064ruling, further \u2064hearings were scheduled.<\/p>\n<p>Trump&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/breaking-federal-investigators-reveal-likely-reason-for-helicopter-crash-that-killed-kobe-bryant\/\" title=\"BREAKING: Federal Investigators Reveal Likely Reason For Helicopter Crash That Killed Kobe Bryant\">legal team argued<\/a> that, historically, special\u200b counsels, unlike Smith, had been\u200c previously vetted by the Senate. \u200cDuring the proceedings, Trump&#8217;s attorney Emil Bove suggested \u200dthat Garland&#8217;s \u200caction could be seen as operating a &#8220;shadow government,&#8221; a claim questioned\u2062 by \u2063Cannon\u200c for its realism given\u200d the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/jordan-explains-jira-tickets-on-censorship-industrial-complex\/\" title=\"Jordan discusses Jira tickets regarding censorship industry\">established legal framework<\/a> for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/hunter-biden-prosecutor-needs-special-counsel-status-to-protect-investigation-gop-senators-say\/\" title=\"Hunter Biden Prosecutor Needs Special Counsel Status To Protect Investigation, GOP Senators Say\">special counsel authority<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The hearings also touched\u200d on the involvement of Garland and possibly President\u200d Joe Biden in federal prosecutions \u200dagainst Trump, a point of contention raised by Trump. Prosecutor James Pearce, representing Smith,\u200b was hesitant to \u2063discuss communications between Garland and Smith, stating he was\u2064 not authorized to discuss them.<\/p>\n<p>Judge\u2064 Cannon&#8217;s focused questioning aimed to clarify the boundaries and independence\u2062 of the special counsel&#8217;s roles under Garland&#8217;s\u2064 authority, and\u2064 the hearings continued \u200bwithout a clear indication of how she would ultimately\u200b rule\u200d on the motion to dismiss\u200c Trump\u2019s charges.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p>Judge Aileen Cannon grilled attorneys in <a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/florida\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Florida\">Florida<\/a> on Friday about how much independence special counsel <a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/jack-smith\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Jack Smith\">Jack Smith<\/a> had over the classified documents case against former President <a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Jack Smith\">Donald Trump<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Cannon\u2019s questions came as part of hearing on a request Trump made in February that the case be dismissed on the grounds that Attorney General Merrick Garland allegedly unlawfully appointed Smith as special counsel.<\/p>\n<p>The hearing was dense and involved Cannon, a Trump appointee, entertaining weedy legal theories about the constitutional provisions and statutes that govern special counsel appointments, according to reports from the courtroom.<\/p>\n<p>The judge did not rule from the bench on Trump\u2019s motion to dismiss his charges, and she has set aside three more days of hearings next week to continue the discussion, as well as address other pending legal disputes in the case.<\/p>\n<p>In court documents ahead of Friday\u2019s hearing, Trump\u2019s attorneys had <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/3053691\/trump-attorneys-jack-smith-unlawfully-made-special-counsel\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">argued<\/a> that outside of Smith and Robert Mueller, no one in the last 40 years has been appointed special counsel who had not first served as a Senate-confirmed U.S. attorney.<\/p>\n<p>At the hearing, Trump attorney Emil Bove <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/donald-trump\/judge-trump-classified-documents-case-hear-challenge-special-counsels-rcna158248\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">said<\/a> at one point that if Garland could grant someone special counsel authority who had not already been vetted by the Senate, then Garland was effectively running a \u201cshadow government,\u201d according to NBC News.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat sounds very ominous, a shadow government. But what does that mean?\u201d Cannon asked.<\/p>\n<p>Bove said it was merely the risk that appointing non-U.S. attorneys poses, to which Cannon questioned if that was \u201creally a realistic risk\u201d when \u201cwell-defined\u201d statutes already dictate special counsel authorities.<\/p>\n<p>Toward the end of the hearing, Cannon also <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2024\/06\/21\/trump-classified-documents-cannon-garland-smith-00164541\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">raised<\/a> an issue Trump has been highly vocal about: what involvement, if any, Garland, and by extension President Joe Biden, had in the federal prosecutions against him.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">In this image from video provided by the U.S. Senate, Aileen M. Cannon speaks remotely during a Senate Judiciary Committee oversight nomination hearing to be U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida on July 29, 2020, in Washington. (U.S. Senate via AP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>James Pearce, a prosecutor arguing on behalf of Smith, appeared caught off guard by Cannon\u2019s question, according to <em>Politico<\/em>. Pearce eventually said he was \u201cnot authorized\u201d to discuss communications between Garland and Smith.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t want to make it seem like I\u2019m hiding something,\u201d Pearce said.<\/p>\n<p>The question came as part of Cannon\u2019s quest to define how Smith acted independently of Garland while also acting as a subordinate to him.<\/p>\n<p>The judge had numerous questions about special counsels prepared for both parties and did not give any signs about how she might rule on Trump\u2019s request, according to courtroom reports.<\/p>\n<p>Cannon\u2019s decision to hold a hearing on the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-explodes-during-press-conference-on-his-mental-fitness-makes-several-mental-mistakes\/\" title=\"Biden's Press Conference Reveals Mental Lapses\">special counsel question<\/a> has drawn criticism from some who say that arguments surrounding special counsel appointments have been exhaustively entertained in courts.<\/p>\n<p>National security attorney Bradley Moss <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/3053691\/trump-attorneys-jack-smith-unlawfully-made-special-counsel\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">said<\/a> ahead of the hearing that the question \u201cshould have been resolved weeks ago on the papers alone\u201d and that there was \u201cno need for a lengthy hearing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The scrutiny over Cannon\u2019s pace comes after the judge had initially scheduled a trial to begin in May 2024 but then scrapped the date because of a logjam of legal motions and other incomplete pretrial steps. The judge has not yet set a new date.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Former U.S. Attorney John Fishwick told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> \u201cthere is no good reason\u201d that Cannon has not set a date.<\/p>\n<p>Cannon\u2019s approach has been favorable to Trump, who pushed for a trial to occur after the presidential election. The buildup of unsettled disputes in the case and Cannon\u2019s willingness to hold full hearings on matters that other judges might not normally hold has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/2024-election\/no-trial-date-trump-classified-documents-case-judge-aileen-cannon-rcna157671\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">made<\/a> the prospect of a post-election trial increasingly likely.<\/p>\n<p> <script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1684021\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1684021\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>On Friday in Florida, Judge Aileen Cannon questioned attorneys about special counsel Jack Smith&#8217;s autonomy in the classified documents case against ex-President Donald Trump. This occurred during a hearing on Trump&#8217;s February request to dismiss the case, claiming bias from Attorney General Merrick Garland<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":49,"featured_media":2275565,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/MixCollage-27-May-2024-09-14-PM-2889.jpg.optimal.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[548,538],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2275564","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-conservative-news-daily","category-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/MixCollage-27-May-2024-09-14-PM-2889.jpg.optimal.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2275564","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/49"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2275564"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2275564\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2275565"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2275564"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2275564"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2275564"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}