Former President Donald Trump has been granted a hearing by a federal judge to determine if prosecutors unlawfully breached attorney-client privilege in his classified documents case. The judge’s order resulted in further delays to Trump’s criminal case, which includes dozens of felony counts related to hoarding classified documents and obstructing the FBI.
The delay in the trial, previously set for May 20, came after prosecutors obtained evidence from the testimony of a Trump attorney, M. Evan Corcoran, who revealed conversations with Trump about the return of classified documents. Trump’s defense team argued against the breach of attorney-client privilege, leading to the upcoming hearing.
In granting the hearing, Judge Aileen Cannon stated that the judge’s order last year that allowed prosecutors to obtain evidence from a Trump attorney would be revisited. The defense team’s request for a separate hearing regarding the Justice Department’s allegedly false or misleading information in an application to search Mar-a-Lago was denied by Cannon.
The hearing, requested by Trump, aims to determine whether the crime-fraud exception doctrine applies in this case, allowing prosecutors to access information typically protected under attorney-client privilege. The delay in the trial adds to the legal challenges faced by former President Trump, who maintains his innocence in the charges against him.
Despite the delays and legal battles, the judge’s decision to grant the hearing reflects a necessary step in ensuring a fair trial for the former president, who has been embroiled in a complex legal battle over the handling of classified documents from his time in office.
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