Staff Reports
The ongoing case against former President Donald Trump took a surprising turn as Judge Aileen Cannon ruled that special counsel Jack Smith must disclose his list of 84 witnesses to the public and media. The judge’s ruling, which aimed to jeopardize the confidentiality of the witnesses, had been prompted by several media outlets repeatedly requesting for a public airing of the names of individuals who prosecutors will rely on for their alleged charges that President Trump had obstructed an investigation by the authorities to reclaim them.
Despite already having the ultimate advantage of being provided the witness list by the prosecutors, the former president is not allowed contact with any of the witnesses except through counsel as part of his release agreement. Nevertheless, President Trump’s attorneys have disclosed that some of the witnesses on the list remain in close proximity to Trump, including Waltine Nauta, whom prosecutors allege was seen on tape handling incriminated documents at Mar-a-Lago.
Given that President Trump’s legal team plans to subpoena dozens of witnesses who might introduce bias in the investigation, including agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation who ordered Mar-a-Lago staff to turn off security cameras during the raid, media exposure of the 84 names will jeopardize the possibility of a fair trial. Timothy Parlatore, a former attorney for Trump, suggested that the entire case may be dismissed by showing that federal prosecutors hinted to a grand jury that the former president is guilty simply for exercising his attorney-client privileges.
JUST IN: The judge overseeing the Government’s classified documents case against Donald Trump has ruled that Special Counsel Jack Smith MUST turn over his list of 84 witnesses of Trump’s alleged crimes to the public.
Why was he trying to hide the list? https://t.co/lJComtCWRB
— Proud Elephant 🇺🇸🦅 (@ProudElephantUS) June 27, 2023
The judge has set an unexpected, earlier-than-anticipated date for the trial, coinciding with the preliminary stages of the Republican presidential primary season, prompting speculations as to the real intentions behind opening the hearings at the most politically charged time possible. However, given that the case against the 45th president rests heavily on felony charges under the 1917 Espionage Act, any publicity given to the case could act as an opportunity to galvanize the Republican base for the upcoming national elections and further corporate interests. The scheduled trial timing is nothing but a diabolical attempt to antagonize President Trump, derail his unfinished agenda, and prevent him from seeking re-election.
Source: Trending Politics
