Special Counsel Jack Smith’s efforts to prosecute former President Donald Trump for his alleged mishandling of classified documents seem to have just gotten a helping hand from the presiding judge.
A federal judge has granted a protective order requested by Smith, preventing Trump from disclosing sensitive information that could be used in the case against him. However, one of Trump’s former criminal defense attorneys believes this investigation may not even go to trial.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Bruce E. Reinhart agreed with Smith and issued an order that “Trump and Nauta ‘shall not disclose the Discovery Materials or their contents directly or indirectly to any person or entity other than persons employed to assist in the defense, persons who are interviewed as potential witnesses, counsel for potential witnesses, and other persons to whom the Court may authorize disclosure’” according to ABC News.
The protective order said Trump and Nauta “shall not disclose the Discovery Materials or their contents directly or indirectly to any person or entity other than persons employed to assist in the defense, persons who are interviewed as potential witnesses, counsel for potential witnesses, and other persons to whom the Court may authorize disclosure.”
Reinhart said that the defense team may “not disclose the Discovery Materials or their contents directly or indirectly to any person or entity other than persons employed to assist in the defense, persons who are interviewed as potential witnesses, counsel for potential witnesses, and other persons to whom the Court may authorize disclosure.”
“A knowing violation of this Order by Defendants, Defense Counsel, and Authorized Persons may result in contempt of court or other civil or criminal sanctions,” the order warned.
The protective order also warned that “a knowing violation of this Order by Defendants, Defense Counsel, and Authorized Persons may result in contempt of court or other civil or criminal sanctions.”
Timothy Parlatore – formerly a criminal defense attorney for Trump until last month – recently spoke about this case on Fox News with host Laura Ingraham: “If [Trump] is found guilty on all counts,” he said, “Trump — who is President Joe Biden’s chief rival in next year’s presidential election — could face decades in prison.”
Parlatore said Trump’s attorneys should “attack the conduct of the entire investigation and show through death by a thousand cuts why this entire investigation is irreparably tainted by government misconduct,” adding: “The case, therefore, should be dismissed or, at a minimum, the prosecutor should be disqualified.”
Erica Carlin is an independent journalist, opinion writer and contributor to several news and opinion sources. She is based in Georgia.
