U.S. District Court Judge Aileen Cannon sided with Department of Justice special counsel Jack Smith on Wednesday by denying co-defendants access to classified documents held by former President Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.
The Independent reported Cannon, who was appointed by Trump, ruled against Walt Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira, who along with Trump were part of a 42-count indictment delivered by Smith last year. They all pleaded not guilty.
The co-defendants sought access to the classified materials for their defense. However, Cannon, following several private hearings, sided with prosecutors in determining that reviewing the classified documents would not benefit their defense.
The ruling comes ahead of a court session to set a trial date for Trump, who faces multiple legal challenges while seeking the Republican presidential nomination.
Cannon has not yet ruled on a similar request from Trump's attorneys to review classified material, which Smith’s office has argued should be protected for national security reasons.