An appeals court has dismissed charges related to Donald Trump’s alleged mishandling of classified documents, ending Special Counsel Jack Smith’s prosecution of Trump. The charges included Trump retaining national defense information and directing the deletion of security footage at his Mar-a-Lago resort. The dismissal came after a previous dismissal in July due to the illegal appointment of Smith as special counsel. The remaining criminal cases against Trump involve hush money payments in New York and a Georgia election interference case. Trump’s attorneys argue for presidential immunity protections in the New York case and conflict of interest allegations have delayed proceedings in the Georgia case. Trump continues to claim the prosecutions are politically motivated and has pleaded not guilty in both cases. The conclusion of these cases was expected once Trump was re-elected due to Justice Department policy that a sitting president cannot be prosecuted. Smith and his team are planning to resign before Trump’s inauguration, and he is expected to file a formal report on his charges. Trump has denounced the cases as “empty and lawless” and a “political hijacking.” A New York judge recently postponed Trump’s sentencing in the hush money case, while the Georgia case remains in limbo.
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