Former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a press conference held at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, on Feb. 8, 2024.
Joe Raedle | Getty Images
Former President Donald Trump arrived at a federal court in Florida on Monday morning for a closed hearing in the criminal case where he is charged with taking hundreds of classified government documents with him when he left the White House.
The hearing before Judge Aileen Cannon will deal with protective orders related to classified information contained in those records.
About 30 Trump supporters gathered outside the Fort Pierce court in anticipation of his arrival. They and other members of the public are not allowed to attend Tuesday’s proceedings.
Cannon, who was appointed to the federal bench by Trump, is scheduled to hear from defense attorneys alone from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. ET, without the presence of prosecutors from the office of Department of Justice special counsel Jack Smith.
Trump can attend the hearing, but his co-defendants in the case, Walt Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira, cannot be there because they lack security clearance.
Jestin Nevarez wears a mask of former President Donald Trump as Jean Corioland holds a picture of U.S. President Joe Biden in front of the Alto Lee Adams Sr. U.S. Courthouse in Fort Pierce, Florida, on Feb. 12, 2024.
Joe Raedle | Getty Images News | Getty Images
The hearing is being held in a so-called Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility, commonly referred to as a SCIF, where classified material can be discussed and viewed safely without unauthorized persons being able to eavesdrop.
Nauta, who is Trump’s valet, and De Oliveira, who was a maintenance worker at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Club, are accused of helping Trump obstruct justice by trying to hide the classified documents from government officials. The classified records were kept at that Palm Beach, Florida, club, where Trump resides.
“Defense counsel shall be prepared to discuss their defense…
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