A federal judge declined to dismiss the case against classified documents prosecution involving Donald Trump on Thursday. Donald Trump, who argued that as a former president, he had the right to keep the records after leaving office, had his defense rejected by the federal judge.
Trump's lawyers referred to the Presidential Records Act of 1978 to support their argument that he could designate records from his presidency as personal and take them when he left the White House.
Prosecutors on special counsel Jack Smith’s team vigorously opposed the argument, stating that the statute was not relevant in a case involving classified documents.
In a three-page order, U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon sided with the government, stating that the indictment did not mention the Presidential Records Act or rely on it for the offense.
