Former President Donald Trump has received a response to his request for permission to discuss classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago home – the same sprawling club where he is accused of improperly keeping such information.
The answer is a bit vague, however.
US District Judge Aileen Cannon did not specifically address the Florida golf resort. But in one 16-page protective order In her statement released Wednesday, she appeared to side primarily with prosecutors who advocated for severe restrictions on Trump’s ability to discuss classified information from his criminal trial.
The former president was indicted in June over his handling of boxes of secret government documents; He allegedly kept them in poorly secured rooms within the club, including the bathroom.
Lawyers for Trump asked Cannon to allow him to set up a secure facility called SCIF at Mar-a-Lago, just as he did when he was president.
Prosecutors are working with special prosecutor Jack Smith argued that allowing him to view confidential information in his home would amount to “special treatment that no other defendant would receive.” The club, where Trump has lived since leaving the White House, is open to hundreds of members.
Cannon’s order simply said that Trump and his team must discuss any classified information at “an accredited SCIF,” suggesting he may need to travel to such a facility to discuss his case in detail.
A designated classified information security officer (CISO) is responsible for ensuring that Trump has access to a during “business hours… and at other times upon reasonable request approved by the CISO in consultation with the court and the U.S. Marshals.” SCIF has service,” the order states.
Any violations could result in additional criminal or civil penalties for Trump.
The order includes not only the documents that make up the case, but also any “oral or other unwritten or unrecorded information” that has been classified as confidential and of which Trump and his lawyers are aware. Your notes on the case, whether handwritten, oral or electronic, are also subject to the order.
The case Cannon is overseeing in Florida is just one of two federal criminal proceedings against Trump. The other is based in Washington, DC and is focused on its efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. Meanwhile, Trump faces federal charges in Georgia and New York.
In each case, certain rules were set for the former president regarding what he could say in connection with the proceedings – and he seemed careful to walk a fine line.