The trial for former President Donald Trump over his alleged mishandling of classified documents has been set for August 14.
Trump is facing 37 counts of wrongdoing and is accused of the willful retention of national defense information, corruptly concealing documents or records, and making false statements. He has pled not guilty to all charges.
The date was set by Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump appointee to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. “This case is hereby set for a Criminal Jury Trial during the two-week period commencing August 14, 2023, or as soon thereafter as the case may be called,” she wrote in the order, adding that all hearings would take place at a U.S. courthouse in Fort Pierce, Florida.
The former president denied all wrongdoing and said the prosecution is politically motivated.
“The ridiculous and baseless indictment of me by the Biden administration’s weaponized department of injustice will go down as among the most horrific abuses of power in the history of our country,” Trump said in his first speech since the indictment against him was announced. “Many people have said that; Democrats have even said it. This vicious persecution is a travesty of justice.”
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On Monday, Federal Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart issued a protective order blocking Trump from being able to release any of the evidence that prosecutors are set to turn over to his defense team as part of the discovery process in the classified documents case.
“The Discovery Materials, along with any information derived therefrom, shall not be disclosed to the public or the news media, or disseminated on any news or social media platform, without prior notice to and consent of the United States or approval of the Court,” Reinhart said in the court order.
An investigation into President Joe Biden’s handling of classified documents when he was vice president is also ongoing.
The charges against Trump come after an investigation from special counsel Jack Smith, who promised that the former president would receive a “speedy” trial.
Trump, the current frontrunner for the Republican 2024 presidential nomination, also faces several other legal challenges. Earlier this year, he was indicted in New York after the office of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg brought charges against Trump related to alleged payments to Stormy Daniels. Trump is also being investigated in Georgia for alleged election interference pertaining to the 2020 election.