Trump scores major legal victory as election interference and classified docs cases are abandoned: Live updates

Trump, on Monday, endorsed Jimmy Patronis – the chief financial officer to the state of Florida – to replace outgoing congressman Matt Gaetz to represent Florida’s 1st congressional district, despite Patronis not launching a bid for the seat yet.

Patronis, who has served as chief financial officer of Florida since 2017, is a Republican who promoted a bill that would give Trump up to $5 million in taxpayer funds to pay his legal bills. Although the bill was filed, it was later withdrawn after Governor Ron DeSantis threatened to veto it.

Trump called Patronis a “wonderful friend” and highlighted his stance on protecting gun rights, bolstering the military, securing the border and growing the border.

Patronis has until Monday to submit his notice of resignation to run in the Republican primary.

“Should he decide to enter this Race, Jimmy Patronis has my Complete and Total Endorsement. RUN, JIMMY, RUN!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Smith also asked the 11th Circuit Appeals Court to abandon his appeal to re-instate the classified documents case against Trump on Monday – but noted he would continue pursuing the case against co-defendants Walt Nautu and Carlos de Oliveira.

The classified documents case accused Trump and his co-defendants of knowingly and willfully retaining boxes that contained classified information, some containing national security information, at Trump’s home Mar-a-Lago home after leaving office.

Prosecutors said Trump did not cooperate with authorities’ attempt to give the documents back to the National Archives when he left office. Trump denied all wrongdoing and all three co-defendants pleaded not guilty.

A district judge in Florida initially dismissed the case against the three earlier this year, claiming Smith was improperly appointed. Prosecutors were in the midst of appealing that ruling when Trump was elected president.

“The American People re-elected President Trump with an overwhelming mandate to Make America Great Again. Today’s decision by the DOJ ends the unconstitutional federal cases against President Trump, and is a major victory for the rule of law. The American People and President Trump want an immediate end to the political weaponization of our justice system and we look forward to uniting our country,” Steven Cheung, Trump Communications Director, said in a statement

Last year, the Justice Department brought a criminal indictment against Trump for his actions leading up to and after the 2020 presidential election. Now, that indictment – and the damning accusations – are likely to be thrown out.

Alex Woodward explains the case here:

Federal prosecutor Jack Smith asked a judge in Washington D.C. to dismiss the government’s federal election interference case against Donald Trump on Monday, citing a precedent that prevents a sitting president from indictments or proceedings.

Smith said they were following precedent that states a sitting president cannot be charged with a crime. Since Trump is expected to take office before proceedings in the case have unfolded, it applies to Trump.

Smith said his team consulted with legal experts to make the determination.

The indictment accused Trump of trying to overturn the 2020 election results, in part by installing “fake electors”, and then inciting an attack on the Capitol on January 6 for spreading lies about mass voter fraud.

Smith stressed while they were asking Judge Tanya Chutkan to dismiss the indictment, it was not due to the strength of the case but rather based on Constitutional precedent.

“That prohibition is categorical and does not turn on the gravity of the crimes charged, the strength of the Government’s proof, or the merits of the prosecution, which the Government stands fully behind,” Smith wrote.

Remember her?

The world’s richest man posts laughing emojis on the social media platform he owns over the prospect of being allowed to carve up the US government thanks to a new department founded especially for him with a joke name of his own choosing.

What a world.

Rhian Lubin has more.

Dr Mehmet Oz, the television personality turned politician, held multiple investments in companies regulated by or closely tied to the federal agency that Donald Trump has tapped him to head – opening the door for questions and concerns about a conflict of interest.

Last week, Dr Oz was nominated to head the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the agency that provides health insurance coverage to more than 160 million people in the United States through Medicare, Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program and the Health Insurance Marketplace.

Yet on his 2022 Senate financial disclosure form, Dr Oz indicated he had at least $280,000 worth of stakes in health insurance companies, such as UnitedHealth Group and Cigna, that work with the government to provide insurance under Medicaid or Medicare.

Ariana Baio reports.

Peach and Blossom were the names of the lucky fowls given a late November reprieve.

Speaking of Trump’s preferred defense secretary, here’s Katie Hawkinson with some rather odd criticism of him in the process of trying to brush aside the sexual assault allegation raised against him by woman he met at a conservative conference in Monterey, California, in 2017.

Hegseth has denied wrongdoing in the case.