Judge reopens Trump challenge in secrets case

What happened

U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon on Thursday rejected one attempt by Donald Trump to suppress evidence that he unlawfully retained classified documents. But in a win for Trump, who appointed her, Cannon ordered an evidentiary hearing to consider whether prosecutors should have been allowed to pierce the confidentiality of communications between Trump and one of his lawyers — a question already settled by a more experienced chief federal judge in Washington last year.

Who said what

Winning the right to depose former Trump lawyer Evan Corcoran under the "crime-fraud exception" to attorney-client privilege was a "hugely consequential legal victory" for prosecutors, The New York Times said. Reversing the D.C. judge's ruling "could deal a serious blow to the obstruction charges" against Trump.

Cannon's latest ruling "continues her pattern of siding with special counsel Jack Smith on fundamental questions" while also "sharply critiquing prosecutors" and signaling she may yet "back some of Trump's myriad efforts to dismiss the case," Politico said. It's also typical of her "tendency for wanting to decide legal questions" in the case that have "already been settled," the Times said.

What next?

Cannon has not scheduled the hearing yet. Nor has she set a date for the trial, originally due to begin in May.