by Kaelan Deese at Washington Examiner
The federal judge presiding over former President Donald Trump‘s Florida classified documents case will allow legal scholars to participate in oral arguments for and against the constitutionality of Jack Smith‘s appointment as special counsel.
U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon said in an order Tuesday that she would allow 30 minutes for each legal scholar to present their arguments at a June 21 hearing about why Smith may or may not have been legally appointed by the Justice Department. The hearing is part of Trump’s broader effort to dismiss the 40-count indictment accusing him of willful retention of classified records and efforts to obstruct the federal government’s retrieval.
Experts arguing in favor of and against Trump’s position include South Texas College of Law professor Josh Blackman; attorney Gene Schaerr, a former clerk to Justice Antonin Scalia representing ex-Bush and Reagan administration U.S. Attorneys General Michael Mukasey and Edwin Meese; and Matthew Seligman, an attorney representing an anti-Trump coalition of constitutional attorneys and former ranking government officials.
Cannon previously allowed the experts to file amicus or “friend of the court” briefs for and against Trump’s motions to dismiss. In May, she allowed nonparties to the case to request access to participate in oral argument at the hearing so long as they made requests by Monday.
Blackman will represent…
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