A federal appeals court has dismissed an “orchestrated campaign” of complaints aimed at removing the judge overseeing the Biden Justice Department’s legal case against former President Donald Trump related to the classified documents seized from his Mar-a-Lago estate.
The 11th Circuit Judicial Council, responsible for overseeing lower courts in Florida, announced on May 22 that it would not entertain an influx of complaints or any similar future complaints against Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump appointee, presiding over the classified documents case. Since May 16, 2024, the council has received over 1,000 judicial complaints alleging issues similar to those previously raised.
“These complaints appear to be part of an orchestrated campaign,” the council stated.
Many of the complaints demand Judge Cannon’s removal from the case, citing concerns about the “correctness of [Cannon’s] rulings or her delays in issuing rulings.” However, the council noted that these complaints lack evidence suggesting that Cannon has any “improper motive in delaying the case.”
“Because the orchestrated complaints received on and after May 16, 2024, raise allegations that have been or will be considered in previously filed complaints against Judge Cannon, accepting these complaints for filing and processing would not provide any benefit to the adjudication of the merits of the allegations against Judge Cannon,” the council’s opinion reads.
This surge of complaints started shortly after Judge Cannon indefinitely postponed the start of the lawfare trial.
The postponement decision occurred after the Department of Justice admitted to tampering with evidence. Independent journalist Julie Kelly highlighted that DOJ prosecutors acknowledged that some documents seized during the FBI’s raid of Mar-a-Lago were not maintained in the same order they were discovered, with others possibly misplaced or mislabeled, as reported by colleague Tristan Justice.
Special counsel Jack Smith admitted to such tampering in a court filing and noted in a footnote that “The Government acknowledges that this is inconsistent with what Government counsel previously understood and represented to the Court.”
Some leftists are hopeful about removing Cannon from the case, potentially to replace her with a partisan judge like Juan Merchan, who oversaw Trump’s recent trial in New York and has Democratic ties.
“Smart move by Smith as Judge Cannon won’t be likely to grant the gag order, will show her patent bias, and Smith can then appeal to the 11th Circuit,” Andrew Weissman posted on X. Former U.S. attorney and NBC/MSNBC legal analyst Barb McQuade hoped that Smith’s order could set up a recusal from Cannon if she refuses.
However, these hopes are deemed “fantastical” by some.
“Judge Cannon’s only appearance of a supposed bias comes from her ruling against Smith’s office,” was written. “In fact, it seems unlikely the 11th Circuit would reverse Cannon if she were to deny Smith’s motion because that motion seeks a vague and overbroad limit on Trump’s speech.”
