Former President Donald Trump made an appearance at a federal court in Florida on Monday morning for a closed hearing in the criminal case against him. Trump is charged with taking hundreds of classified government documents with him when he left the White House. The hearing, presided over by Judge Aileen Cannon, will address protective orders related to the classified information contained in those records.
Trump’s supporters gathered outside the Fort Pierce court in anticipation of his arrival, but they, along with other members of the public, are not allowed to attend the proceedings. The hearing, which will last from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. ET, will only involve defense attorneys and will not include prosecutors from the office of Department of Justice special counsel Jack Smith.
Despite being able to attend the hearing, Trump’s co-defendants, Walt Nauta and Carlos de Oliveira, cannot be present due to their lack of security clearance. The hearing is taking place in a Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility (SCIF), where classified material can be discussed and viewed securely without the risk of unauthorized individuals eavesdropping.
Nauta, who served as Trump’s valet, and de Oliveira, a maintenance worker at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Club, are accused of aiding Trump in obstructing justice by attempting to hide the classified documents from government officials. The classified records were stored at the Palm Beach, Florida club where Trump currently resides.
Judge Cannon has instructed defense counsel to be prepared to discuss their defense theories of the case and how any classified information may be relevant or helpful to their defense. The hearing will also address Trump’s lawyers’ motions for access to court filings under the Classified Information Procedures Act.
Later in the day, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., Judge Cannon is scheduled to hear from prosecutors regarding their CIPA motions and other matters. Defense lawyers will not be permitted to attend this session. The judge has kept her docket clear on Tuesday in case further proceedings are required regarding the CIPA issues.
Trump and the other defendants have pleaded not guilty in this case, which is one of four criminal cases facing the former president. Despite these legal challenges, Trump remains the front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination.
In a separate development last week, another DOJ special counsel announced that he would not pursue criminal charges against President Joe Biden for retaining a smaller number of classified records and other materials at his home in Wilmington, Delaware after leaving the vice presidency in 2017.
This is a developing story, and further updates will be provided as they become available.
