Former President Donald Trump and special counsel Jack Smith have filed competing proposals for redactions in the classified documents case, revealing disagreements over the handling of sensitive information in court filings.
U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, in an order issued on Friday, addressed the proposed redactions from both parties, accepting some while rejecting others. The judge agreed with both sides that the names of potential witnesses or information that would clearly identify them should be kept hidden, along with personal identifying information such as addresses.
However, Judge Cannon rejected Trump’s proposed redactions to some witness statements, stating that no basis was provided for these redactions. She also turned down a request by the special counsel to redact some of the same information.
For redactions where the parties disagree, Judge Cannon said she would “accept for now” Trump’s characterization of portions of the material falling under privilege, pending her review of privilege arguments. She would also accept the special counsel’s position on Rule 6 of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, which governs the secrecy of grand jury proceedings, despite concerns outlined in the order.
The judge’s order comes as the case, which stems from the August 2022 raid on Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence, continues to unfold with both sides wrangling over the handling of classified materials and allegations of prosecutorial misconduct.
