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The individual accused of attempting to assassinate the President in Florida last year has been denied access to classified material related to the case by a federal judge.
Judge Aileen Cannon stated in a ruling on Friday that the information in question was classified and its disclosure could pose a serious threat to the national security of the United States.
“The Court finds that the United States properly invoked the provisions of the Classified Information Procedures Act and its classified information privilege,” she added in response to a motion filed by federal prosecutors.
The accused, aged 59, was recently given permission to represent himself in the upcoming trial. He faces charges of attempting to assassinate the President, assaulting a federal officer, and multiple firearms violations stemming from an incident in Florida on September 15, 2024. He has pleaded not guilty.
On September 15, 2024, the accused allegedly hid in the bushes outside a golf club in West Palm Beach with a rifle as the President was playing. His son has pleaded guilty to a separate charge.
Prior to granting the accused the right to represent himself, Judge Cannon advised him not to do so, emphasizing that his court-appointed attorneys would provide better defense.
In a letter to the judge, the accused questioned the absence of the death penalty in his case and proposed a prisoner swap with foreign adversaries.
The accused during a court appearance in July. (Lothar Speer)
The accused expressed a desire for a prisoner swap with various countries or to be sent to Siberia in exchange for a Ukrainian soldier.
Judge Cannon also presided over a case involving classified documents related to the President, which was dismissed in July 2024. This case revolved around the FBI’s investigation into the President and its raid on his estate in 2022.
Our reporters Heather Lacy, Olivianna Calmes, Bernardo Montas, and Michael Dorgan contributed to this report.
