“What She Is Doing Is Criminal”: Judge in Trump’s Documents Case Accused of MAGA Bias

Michelle HollandDec 2, 2023

Minute Read

Aileen Cannon, the judge overseeing Trump’s classified documents case, has been accused of bias amidst suggestions that she is trying to delay the trial. Brian Greer, a former CIA attorney, has claimed that Cannon has “certainly taken her time to litigate things.”

The Classified Documents Case

In June, Trump was federally indicted for illegally retaining and concealing classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. It is one of several criminal cases that Trump is involved in, and is currently scheduled to go to trial next May as the GOP primary is concluding.

Cannon’s Slow Approach

Image Credit:Southern District of Florida, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

Despite the trial being just six months away, Cannon has adopted a slow pace in handling pretrial duties. The confidential nature of the documents has posed an additional obstacle as she has been posed with the task of establishing a secure storage facility near the courthouse.

Lengthening the Trial

Cannon has also suspended the deadline for certain motions about classified information, which has subsequently prolonged the case’s timeline. “It could be seen as a stealth attempt to delay the ultimate trial date without actually announcing that yet,” Greer has suggested.

Contrasting Approaches

On the other hand, Tanya Chutkan, the judge in Trump’s 2020 election interference case, is sticking to a strict schedule and ensuring that she won’t allow Trump to influence the timeline of the trial. The case is set to go to trial next March when the GOP primary race is still ongoing.

Disguised Intentions

Experts have compared the two approaches and suggested that Cannon may have intentions to help Trump. There is speculation that she will allow the trial to clash with major events in election season, such as the Republican National Convention, and that a Trump victory could postpone the trial or influence its outcome.

The Case’s Complexity

The case is also highly complex with several defendants and intricate legal procedures, which could prompt further delays. “She’s certainly taken her time to litigate things,” Greer claimed of Cannon’s drawn-out method. David Aaron, a former DOJ national security prosecutor, has also doubted that a May 20 trial date is feasible at the case’s current pace.

Accusations of Bias

Editorial credit: lev radin / Shutterstock.

Attorney Andrew Weissman has accused Cannon of bias, claiming on X: “Judge Cannon’s bias is showing over and over again,” elaborating that “not scheduling a CIPA Section 5 hearing, which is routine, is a clear sign she is just as much in the bag for Trump as when she issued her horrendous pretrial rulings,” before concluding, “what a piece of work she is.”

The Internet Responds

Many people online have demanded Cannon be recused from the classified files case, citing her alleged attempts to aid the former president’s agenda. One forum member described her approach to the trial as “delay delay delay, allow motion to postpone, delay delay delay.”

Supreme Court Ambitions

Others speculated that Cannon is angling for an eventual SCOTUS appointment from Trump if he is reelected president. “If she delays the trial and Trump wins, the next opening in the SC during Trump’s term will be hers,” one poster proposed.

Conflict of Interest

One person observed how Cannon was previously appointed as a lawyer by Trump. They declared: “The fact that a case can be heard by an appointee of the defendant is absolutely ridiculous. It’s a straight-up conflict of interest and a hallmark of corruption.” Another user described Cannon as being “obsessed” with Trump.

Cannon’s Incompetence

Another commenter declared: “She should be removed from the bench entirely. Any other job and she’d have been fried for making so many basic mistakes. And that’s aside from the partisan complaints.” Someone else concurred, “This woman shouldn’t be anywhere near a gavel and court of law. Remove her for sure, but lock her up too. What she is doing is criminal.”

Lack of Proof

Someone else felt prosecuting Cannon was unlikely to happen. They stated: “Unfortunately, it would be almost impossible for her to face any legal repercussions as it can’t be proven that she’s covering for Trump (without some extraordinary uncovering of communications). She likely won’t even be taken off the case, but I sure hope they find a way to make it happen.”

Cannon’s Selection

Others wondered how Cannon had even been designated the case in the first place. “She should have never been finalized in the random selection that was made. It’s a goddamned travesty of justice,” one contributor proclaimed.

An Impractical Location

Someone else countered: “I believe that there’s only like 3 judges in her district. That’s why Trump’s attorneys wanted the trial there instead of Miami. Miami has a facility for handling TSSCI documents. Cannon is delaying the trial while they build one in her district.”

Favoritism from Trump

Editorial credit: Rokas Tenys / Shutterstock.

This led the original commenter to respond, “Have you noticed how Trump has not called her out for being a political activist, hack, or anything that he is blaming other judges for?” referring to Trump’s online attacks against people involved in his other legal cases.

Trump’s Gag Order

Judge Arthur Engoron, who is overseeing his business fraud trial, and Jack Smith, the prosecutor in documents and January 6 cases, are among those who have been frequent targets of Trump’s threats and abusive posts. This has resulted in a gag order being imposed in Trump’s fraud trial, which is currently suspended pending appeal.

Deafening Silence

Another user emphasized: “The deafening silence from Trump on this particular judge is pretty telling. I mean every other judge and prosecutor in his cases is hunting witches, this one… nothing.” Someone else agreed: “Yeah, his minions say nothing about her. Only thing I ever hear is “the rest of the judges should be like her!” which definitely means they know exactly what she’s doing.”