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Judge Aileen Cannon's removal of an allegation in the indictment accusing Donald Trump of hoarding classified documents is a "sweetener" for the former president, says a top legal commentator.
Trump-appointed U.S. District Judge Cannon deleted the accusation that Trump showed off a very sensitive military map at his New Jersey home because he is not charged with the alleged display of the document. She removed the paragraph on Monday while dismissing Trump's request to have the entire case against him struck out.
MSNBC legal correspondent, Lisa Rubin, wrote on X, formerly Twitter, on Monday: "There's a sweetener for Trump and his campaign chief Susie Wiles.
"And that sweetener was her decision to strike paragraph 36 of the indictment, which concerns Trump's alleged showing, while at Bedminster, a classified map of a country with 'an ongoing military operation' 'not going well' to a 'PAC Representative', reported to be Wiles."
Newsweek sought email comment from Trump's attorney and from Susie Wiles on Tuesday.
Cannon is presiding over the case in which Special Prosecutor Jack Smith accuses the former president of illegally retaining classified documents, hoarding them at his Mar-a-Lago resort home in Palm Beach, Florida. Smith also charged Trump with obstructing attempts by federal officials to retrieve the highly sensitive documents.
Trump, the presumptive Republican candidate in the November presidential election, has pleaded not guilty to all charges and has denied any wrongdoing in the case.
Wiles is a very close adviser to Trump. In April, 2024, the online news site, Politico, wrote an extensive feature about her in which she is described as "the most feared and least known political operative in America" and that she is Trump's "de facto campaign manager."
She has been accused by legal analysts of being too favorable to the former president and has had frequent clashes with the chief prosecutor, Jack Smith.
Rubin added: "Cannon says where prosecutors want to introduce evidence of prior crimes or wrongs, they have to provide 'pretrial notice' of the reasons justifying use of such evidence for purposes other than showing the defendant's propensity to act in a given way, and motion practice ensues."
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About the writer
Sean O'Driscoll is a Newsweek Senior Crime and Courts Reporter based in Ireland. His focus is reporting on U.S. law. ... Read more