Left and right raise concerns over judge, prosecutor in Trump documents case

KARAH RUCKER: WITH FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP’S TRIAL IMMINENT – WE WANT TO INTRODUCE YOU TO TWO PIVOTAL PLAYERS LIKELY TO PRESIDE IN THE HISTORIC CASE. BOTH ARE CONTROVERSIAL.

HIGHLIGHTING JUDGE, TOP PROSECUTOR IN TRUMP TRIAL

THE JUDGE WHO WAS RANDOMLY SELECTED TO HEAR THE CASE – IS JUDGE AILEEN CANNON. A TRUMP APPOINTEE. THERE ARE CALLS FROM DEMOCRATS FOR HER RECUSAL FROM THE CASE BECAUSE OF HER TIES TO THE FORMER PRESIDENT.

THEN THERE’S KAREN GILBERT – A LEADING PROSECUTOR FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE – AND LIKELY TRIAL-ATTORNEY – WHOM REPUBLICANS CALL ‘CORRUPT’ AND “UNETHICAL’ WITH A HISTORY OF BEING REPRIMANDED AS A PROSECUTOR IN MIAMI.

JUDGE AILEEN CANNON APPOINTED BY TRUMP IN 2020

FIRST – WE’LL TAKE A LOOK AT JUDGE CANNON. WHO IS NO STRANGER TO THE CASE.

SHE PREVIOUSLY RULED IN FAVOR OF TRUMP TO APPOINT A SPECIAL MASTER LAST YEAR TO REVIEW DOCUMENTS SEIZED AT MAR-A-LAGO. CRITICS ARGUE THERE’S A CONFLICT OF INTEREST – GIVEN PRESIDENT TRUMP APPOINTED HER TO THE FEDERAL BENCH BACK IN 20-20.

IF THE MAN WHO ELEVATED HER CAREER WERE CONVICTED – CANNON WOULD BE THE ONE TO DECIDE HIS SENTENCE – AND WHETHER OR NOT HE WOULD SERVE TIME IN PRISON. SHE COULD ALSO RULE ON MOTIONS TO DISMISS COUNTS OR THE ENTIRE INDICTMENT.

FEDERAL PROSECUTOR KAREN GILBERT PREVIOUSLY REPRIMANDED

THEN THERE’S FEDERAL PROSECUTOR KAREN GILBERT. WHO WILL SIT ALONGSIDE SPECIAL COUNSEL JACK SMITH REPRESENTING THE DOJ. BUT REPUBLICANS ARE QUESTIONING **HER CREDIBILITY IN THE CASE – CALLING HER “CORRUPT” AFTER ONCE BEING REPRIMANDED BY A FEDERAL JUDGE FOR SECRETLY RECORDING A DEFENSE LAWYER. SHE RESIGNED FROM HER POSITION AFTER ALLEGATIONS OF EAVESDROPPING ON PHONE CONVERSATIONS BETWEEN WITNESSES AND A DEFENSE ATTORNEY. THAT WAS IN 2009.

YEARS LATER – SHE WAS PROSECUTING AGAIN – PROMOTED BY THE DOJ.

LITTLE MEDIA COVERAGE ON SPECIAL COUNSEL PROSECUTOR

THERE’S A VERY DIFFERENT PICTURE IN HOW THESE TWO ARE BEING TEED UP BY THE MEDIA. THERE’S A PLETHORA OF COVERAGE ON THE TRUMP APPOINTED JUDGE AND THE IMPLICATIONS THAT COULD COME FROM HER PRESIDING OVER THE CASE.

BUT THE MEDIA ISN’T TALKING ABOUT THE DOJ’S LEADING PROSECUTOR WHO A DISTRICT JUDGE SAID ACTED IN “BAD FAITH” AND “KNOWINGLY AND REPEATEDLY VIOLATED ETHICAL GUIDELINES.”

POLITICO CALLS CANNON “ONE OF TRUMP’S FAVORITE JUDGES.” NBC – “HOW THE FLORIDA JUDGE COULD HOBBLE THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT’S CASE.” THE NEW YORK TIMES – HOW A TRUMP APPOINTED JUDGE COULD INFLUENCE THE CASE.

CONTROVERSY AND CONCERNS SURROUND JUDGE, PROSECUTOR

THERE ARE NO HEADLINES TO SHOW OF THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA REPORTING ON KAREN GILBERT – BECAUSE THEY’RE NOT COVERING IT. NOT CNN, ABC, NBC, CBS, AND SO FORTH. CNN MENTIONS KAREN GILBERT IN AN ARTICLE – BUT ONLY DESCRIBES HER AS A “SEASONED MIAMI PROSECUTOR”.

BEFORE TRUMP’S TRIAL – WE WANTED TO SHARE CONCERNS SURROUNDING BOTH THE JUDGE AND LEAD PROSECUTOR – SERVING PIVOTAL ROLES AND PART OF HISTORY.