Trump lawyers move to dismiss classified documents case

On Feb. 22, Former President Donald Trump’s lawyers launched a bid to drop the criminal charges accusing him of illegally keeping sensitive national security documents after his presidency. Trump’s team submitted three public motions to dismiss the charges against him. Attorneys sent three more motions to the court via email for a review of potential redactions, handling the process privately.

They argue that the statute he’s charged under is too vague when applied to presidents, that appointing a special counsel is unconstitutional, and that the Presidential Records Act should nullify the charges.

Prosecutors, however, have labeled Trump’s immunity defense as baseless, pointing out that the actions in question occurred after he was president, highlighting a clear distinction between his official duties and his conduct as a private citizen. They also accuse Trump of deliberately obstructing efforts to retrieve the documents.

The former president has pleaded not guilty to charges of unlawfully keeping national defense information found at his Florida estate, well after his presidency ended.

He’s also accused of instructing a Mar-a-Lago employee to erase security footage. Walt Nauta, his top aide, and Carlos De Oliveira, the estate’s maintenance supervisor, also pleaded not guilty, facing allegations of attempting to delete security video. On Feb. 22, De Oliveira sought to have his charges dismissed. Trump is expected to appear in court in May.