Judge Denies DOJ’s Request to Conceal List of 84 Key Witnesses in Trump’s Case

A federal judge has rejected the Justice Department’s bid to keep confidential the list of 84 potential witnesses with whom former President Donald Trump is prohibited from discussing his ongoing federal criminal case.

Judge Denies DOJ’s Request to Conceal List of 84 Key Witnesses in Trump’s Case (PHOTO: CBS News)

Judge Denies DOJ’s Request to Conceal Witnesses in Trump’s Case

Judge Aileen Cannon ruled against the prosecution’s request, stating that they had failed to provide sufficient justification for keeping the list sealed from public scrutiny.

However, the judge’s order also leaves room for the special counsel’s team to resubmit their request, while suggesting that the list might not need to be publicly filed at all.

A coalition of news organizations, including CBS News, had advocated for the release of the list, asserting the importance of transparency throughout this historic case. The news outlets’ attorneys argued that without transparency, public confidence in the integrity of the judicial system would suffer.

The list of witnesses, which Trump received on June 22, was presented to him as a special condition of his bond during his arraignment in Miami on June 13.

Trump and his co-defendant, Waltine Nauta, have pleaded not guilty to felony charges related to the alleged mishandling of classified documents.

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List of Witnesses in Trump’s Case

The coalition’s attorneys emphasized the significance of the list, stating that it marked a crucial milestone in this extraordinary prosecution and represented a transition from the secrecy of the grand jury investigation to the public administration of justice concerning the highest level of power in the American government.

The special counsel prosecutor, in a motion to seal the list, indicated that Trump’s defense attorneys had no objection to the special condition but reserved the right to contest it in the future.

The trial for the case is currently scheduled for August 14, but the special counsel has requested a nearly two-month delay, pushing the date to December 11. This extension is necessary to allow defense attorneys ample time to obtain the required security clearances to access certain evidence central to the proceedings.

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