Judge Cannon faced ‘potentially unethical pressure’ to step away from Trump classified docs case, says Rep. Gaetz

United States Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) sent a letter to a Miami federal court on Thursday requesting additional information regarding reports that Judge Aileen Cannon may have faced pressure to step away from the classified documents case against former President Donald Trump, the Daily Caller News Foundation reported.

The letter, first obtained by the DCNF, referenced a New York Times report that stated sources claimed two judges pushed Cannon to remove herself from the case.

Gaetz wrote to Cecilia Altonaga, chief judge of the Federal District Court for the Southern District of Florida, “The New York Times recently reported that multiple individuals report that potentially unethical pressure was brought to bear upon Judge Aileen Cannon in your district (‘Judge in Trump Documents Case Rejected Suggestions to Step Aside,’ June 20, 2024). Specifically, multiple anonymous sources note that two judges have publicized their attempts to convince Judge Cannon to step aside in the Trump classified-documents case. The timing (apparently well into the litigation) and the fact that the New York Times has described this effort as ‘extraordinary’ do warrant at least a reach out from Congress.”

Gaetz noted that he is “well aware of the dynamics of a collegial court, and the facts, as reported by the media, may be wrong.”

“There is nothing untoward in a senior colleague explaining to a more junior colleague about the pitfalls of an assigned case and providing options to her. But the article suggests much more than that,” he added.

Gaetz posed several questions to the court, including:

• Did you personally have a conversation with Judge Cannon about the Trump documents case and, if so, on what date(s)?;
• Did you attempt to convince her to leave the case, through reassignment or another means, and, if so, what means and on what date(s)?;
• Do you have reason to believe that the conversation(s) with Judge Cannon is/are protected by any canons of court conduct or judicial ethics, such that leaks to the New York Times may constitute a violation of those rules and, if so, what rules?;
• Is there any pending investigation into those leaks?; and
• What affirmative steps has your court taken to avoid a repeat of this situation?

He asked for a response by July 5.

A press release from Gaetz stated that the two judges were accused of “exert[ing] undue political pressure” on Cannon to step aside to “allow another, more liberal judge, to take it.”

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