Judge Cannon helps Trump target for violence witnesses who will testify against him in Espionage case
This is "Judicial Idol"
Trump appointed Judge Aileen Cannon has repeatedly been repaying the person who gave her the job on the federal bench. The latest example, though, is actually dangerous as Cannon-over the objections of Special Counsel Jack Smith—is planning to publicly release the names of the witnesses the government will call to testify against Trump. Why would Cannon release the names of the witnesses and FBI agents months before trial date? Apparently, she’s helping Trump and MAGA target these government witnesses with everything from threats of violence to even death.
There’s no other way to see this. Keep in mind, Trump’s lawyers have been provided with the witness information so they can prepare for trial. This is not an issue of a defendant claiming they need more info, rather its media outlets seeking such info. The disclosure of this information would put a bullseye on the back of the people who are slated to testify against Trump.
That is why Jack Smith has argued that disclosing the names of witnesses months before trial will result in "significant and immediate risks of threats, intimidation, and harassment." Smith’s pleadings detail that there has already been a "well-documented pattern" in which judges, agents, prosecutors, and witnesses involved in cases surrounding Trump have faced death threats and harassment from Trump’s supporters.
It was just a few months ago that federal Judge Tanya Chutkan—who is overseeing Trump’s Jan 6 case--was subjected to racist death threats from self-avowed Trump supporter after Trump targeted the judge online, calling her “a fraud dressed up as a judge" and "a radical Obama hack.” In response, Trump loving Abigail Jo Shry left a voicemail in Chutkan’s chambers, saying, "Hey you stupid slave n----- ... You are in our sights, we want to kill you." She also "threatened to kill anyone who went after" Trump. Shry was arrested soon thereafter.
There was also the deadly attack on an FBI field office after Trump’s residence was searched in August 2022. In response to Trump’s public attacks on the FBI, a self-avowed Trump supporter sought to kill FBI agents for seeking to hold Trump accountable. He went to the FBI office with an AR-15 but could not enter the building. The MAGA terrorist was later killed in a shoot-out with the police.
As has also been well documented, the judges and prosecutors in other cases against Trump have been subject to threats and harassment by Trump’s supporters. And of course there was the Trump incited Jan 6 MAGA terrorist attack on our Capitol to keep Trump in power despite losing. That is why Smith wants to protect the identities of the witnesses until they appear in court to testify.
Cannon knows all this. Yet in February she agreed to release the names to the public of witnesses—although she still has not because of Smith’s repeated filings objecting. In fact, just last Thursday, Smith asked Cannon to at least redact the names of the FBI agents and two other witnesses who the government plans to call to testify from the pleadings before being released to public given some have already faced threats. Smith wrote that the government's redactions "are truly minimal, representing portions of only 13 pages out of 268 pages of briefing" and follow "the articulation of threats that witnesses have already faced in this case and the potential for threats if names and identifying information are disclosed."
We will see if Canon agrees to at least redact the names of witnesses.
This is far from the first time Cannon has repaid Trump for appointing her as a judge. In 2022, Cannon stunned the legal world by declaring that in her view that Trump as a former president had more right than the rest of us. Thus, Cannon granted Trump’s request to appoint a Special Master to review the hundreds of documents the FBI seized at Trump’s home—including hundreds of classified documents.
The conservative 11th Circuit of Appeals swiftly reversed Cannon’s ruling finding that Cannon “improperly exercised equitable jurisdiction.” And more importantly, the three judge panel wrote that, “The law is clear. We cannot write a rule that allows any subject of a search warrant to block government investigations after the execution of the warrant,” adding in direct response to Cannon’s pro-Trump views, “Nor can we write a rule that allows only former presidents to do so.”
And in this Espionage Act case, Cannon is also helping Trump in the way he most wants: Delaying the trial until after the election. Despite Cannon first scheduling a May trial date, two weeks ago she indicated a new trial date would be needed to allow Trump to prepare. When Smith’s team proposed a July trial, Cannon expressed skepticism that the case—which began last July—could be ready for trial by then.
Cannon may soon have another excuse to delay the trial if Smith’s team appeals her decision revealing the identity of the witnesses—as he has suggested he might. We could see the Trump appointed judge cite any such appeal as a reason to put off the trial date even further.
If a Democratic appointed judge was protecting the Democratic presidential nominee like this, the House Republicans would impeach him or her. Or at the very least they would be sending letters to the court demanding consequences for the obvious bias. For example, GOP Rep Elise Stefanik filed an ethics complaint against state Judge Arthur Engoron, who at the time was presiding over the New York civil fraud case against, an ethics complaint against U.S. District Court Judge Beryl Howell for her harsh sentencing of Jan 6 defendants and sought to get NY AG Tish James disbarred for prosecuting Trump.
Many have asked why didn’t Smith move to recuse Cannon at the outset? The reality is the legal standard in the 11th Circuit where she sits has set a high bar for forcing the recusal of a judge. And in any event, if Smith made such a motion now, it would allow Cannon to delay the trial even further.
At this point it is obvious that Cannon—who is only 43 years old—is helping Trump in the hopes he wins in 2024 so that he will reward her loyalty with an appointment to the US Court of Appeals or even the US Supreme Court. It’s like a new reality show called “Judicial Idol.” And the worst part is that if the GOP regains control of the Senate in the 2024 election, they will gladly elevate Cannon to the US Supreme Court as a reward for protecting their orange Fuhrer.
Dean, Cannon’s not just delaying things, nor making it dangerous for the witnesses. She’s trying to get the witnesses to outright refuse to testify, to drop out as witnesses, or to color their testimony so they won’t be in the MAGA crosshairs. It’s witness intimidation from the bench.
This whole affair is total bullshit. The espionage case against Trump and his co-conspirators is open and shut. There are only three questions to answer: 1) Did he have the documents, classified and otherwise? 2) Should he have had them? 3) Did he lie to the FBI about them? One, maybe two day trial at most. But here we are with Loose Cannon in charge. Perhaps Jack Smith can indict Trump in New Jersey (if he hasn't already) and burn him there.