Former U.S. President Donald Trump’s access to classified information has been limited by a federal judge as he faces a trial in a case related to handling documents improperly.
This decision follows a sealed hearing held the day before.
The judge’s decision aligns with special counsel Jack Smith’s efforts to safeguard classified information, which could serve as evidence against Trump.
The charges against him involve mishandling sensitive national security secrets at his Florida club and residence after leaving office.
This development marks one of the first instances where the court has imposed restrictions on classified information, despite Trump’s attempts to downplay the seriousness of document handling.
Trump’s legal team sought more flexibility in discussing classified records with him, including locations like the Mar-a-Lago club and his New Jersey residence.
However, Judge Aileen Cannon cautioned against any improper disclosure of classified or sensitive information to the public, noting that such actions could violate the law.
She emphasized that even if classified information becomes public, Trump and his team cannot make statements regarding its status or suggest that their access confirms or contradicts what’s already known.
Trump already faces restrictions on how he can view and share evidence obtained by prosecutors as part of his ongoing legal proceedings.
Judge Cannon conducted a sealed hearing regarding classified information handling in South Florida, maintaining secrecy around its details.
Her order did not specify whether Trump would have access to SCIF (Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility) areas on his properties, as he did during his presidency.
These areas will be supervised by a designated third-party federal officer.
Cannon’s order also stressed the need to treat apparently classified information in the case with sensitivity.
It allowed Trump to challenge the classification status of certain documents through court proceedings.
Despite claims by Trump and his team that he declassified much of the national security information he possessed after leaving office, an audio recording surfaced, revealing that he acknowledged having classified records that he couldn’t share widely.
