'No reasonable factual basis': Trump jumps in to defend Judge Cannon's honor and seeks 'sanctions' for 'frivolous claims' that she 'acted to obstruct'

While asking the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to disregard arsenic a authorisation an entreaty that sought "extraordinary" aid, lawyers for President Donald Trump and his erstwhile co-defendants successful the Mar-a-Lago classified documents prosecution are defending U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon and slamming "frivolous claims" astir her.

Before Cannon permanently blocked the DOJ from releasing Volume II of ex-special counsel Jack Smith's report, arsenic an hold of her July 2024 dismissal of the Trump lawsuit connected Appointments Clause grounds, the Knight First Amendment Institute and American Oversight acceptable 2 antithetic appeals successful motion.

The groups had tried to intervene successful the shuttered lawsuit against Trump, valet Waltine Nauta, and Mar-a-Lago spot manager Carlos de Oliveira, for the intent of lifting an injunction Cannon had successful spot since January 2025 and bringing Volume II public. When the denial came nearly a twelvemonth later, she kept the doorway open for Trump and his erstwhile co-defendants to question a imperishable injunction.

One entreaty challenged the denials of the nonparties' motions to intervene successful a closed transgression lawsuit for the intent of releasing a redacted mentation of Smith's study reviewed by Cannon successful her chambers. That is presently acceptable for oral statement successful precocious June.

The different appeal, a petition for a writ of mandamus, asked the 11th Circuit to unit the Trump-appointed justice to halt the proceedings earlier she could rule, with accent connected Nauta and De Oliveira's demand for the "destruction" of Volume II.

Trump's ineligible squad downplayed that request arsenic 1 for the "constitutional expungement" of the report, said an "unfounded consciousness of urgency" wasn't capable for mandamus alleviation erstwhile different appellate options existed, and dismissed the "highly speculative and bombastic claims" of "liberal organizations" and "purported" nonpartisan nonprofits that seek to unmuzzle Smith.

When "extraordinary" mandamus alleviation did not instantly come, Cannon lowered the roar connected Smith, pointedly criticizing him for preparing the study successful the archetypal spot successful a "breach of the spirt," "if not an outright violation" of her dismissal order, and permanently blocked U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and her successors from releasing Volume II.

What Cannon did not bash is bid the demolition of Volume II, and that has Trump and his erstwhile co-defendants taking thing of a triumph thigh astatine the 11th Circuit. The doomsday "destruction" script contemplated by the petitioners, cited prominently to enactment the alleviation they sought, did not travel to pass, and that makes the mandamus petition for a enactment moot and acceptable for dismissal, court documents said Thursday.

Of peculiar interest for attorneys Kendra Wharton, Richard Klugh, and John Irving was the groups' "rhetoric" that Cannon "acted to obstruct appellate review" by ruling erstwhile she did, earlier her injunction was automatically acceptable to expire.

"Petitioners present baselessly impeach the District Court of 'obstruct[ing] this Court's appellate jurisdiction' and 'abus[ing] judicial power' by ruling connected the then-pending motions. But the District Court expressly addressed its jurisdiction erstwhile ruling connected the pending motions, and noted 'there is nary pending announcement of entreaty that divests this Court of jurisdiction to participate this order,'" the filing said, slamming arsenic an "extraordinary workout successful sanctionable conjecture" the conception that mandamus is inactive indispensable due to the fact that Cannon could instrumentality further action.

In a footnote, the lawyers encouraged the 11th Circuit to disregard the petition arsenic an "appropriate sanction" for making statements with "no tenable factual basis" for the claims.

"Indeed, the District Court has expressly denied demolition relief, which is not presently challenged, and Petitioners place nary factual ground for presuming that determination volition beryllium immoderate aboriginal situation oregon forthcoming question for relief," the filing went on, inviting the "imposition of sanctions against Petitioners for their frivolous claims and statements."