Trump got the judge he wanted in the Mar-a-Lago case: One he appointed. And she just gave him the first decision he wanted.
By Jose Pagliery, The Daily Beast
When former President Donald Trump summoned up years of bubbling resentment and sued Hillary Clinton and everyone else involved in Russiagate earlier this year, he naturally filed his lawsuit in South Florida—home to his oceanside estate.
And yet, when his attorneys formally filed the paperwork, they selected a tiny courthouse in the sprawling federal court district’s furthest northeast corner—a satellite location that’s 70 miles from Mar-a-Lago. They ignored the West Palm Beach federal courthouse that’s a 12-minute drive away.
Trump’s legal team, it seemed, was specifically seeking out a particular federal judge: one he appointed as president.
The tactic failed, and Trump instead got a Clinton-era judge whom he promptly tried to disqualify for alleged bias. U.S. District Judge Donald M. Middlebrooks called him out in a snarky footnote.
“I note that Plaintiff filed this lawsuit in the Fort Pierce division of this District, where only one federal judge sits: Judge Aileen Cannon, who Plaintiff appointed in 2020. Despite the odds, this case landed with me instead. And when Plaintiff is a litigant before a judge that he himself appointed, he does not tend to advance these same sorts of bias concerns,” Middlebrooks wrote in April.
Recent Posts
How The Supreme Court Could Finally Force Big Oil To Face Trial
Take Action Now Dozens of cities and states sued oil giants for deceiving the public. The Supreme Court could soon break these cases out of limbo.…
Bill Fletcher: Keep Fighting Till The Lights Go Out
Take Action Now A conversation that touches on internationalism, the expanding political role of Black immigrants, and the need for building…
Iran Blames Israel For Last Week’s Attack On Isfahan Military Site
Take Action Now Iran asserted its right to defend itself after the failed drone strikes at the military workshop complex in Isfahan late on Saturday…
Majid Khan Released from Guantánamo After 16 Years
Take Action Now Mr. Khan is only the sixth man transferred by the Biden administration and the first resettled in a third country. His transfer marks…