Former President Donald Trump has taken legal action to dismiss the classified documents case in Florida, contending that the FBI destroyed exculpatory evidence during the 2022 raid on his Mar-a-Lago residence.

Trump's motion, filed late Monday, alleges FBI misconduct that violated his due process rights and undermined his defense in the documents handling case, as the Washington Examiner reports.

The former president's motion to dismiss the case stems from his claim that the FBI destroyed key exculpatory evidence during its raid at Mar-a-Lago. In his filing, Trump references the conduct of special counsel Jack Smith’s office and the FBI, which he alleges is under the influence of the Biden Justice Department.

United States District Judge Aileen Cannon, however, denied a separate request from Trump on Monday evening to dismiss some of the charges against him in the case.

Trump Alleges FBI Destroyed Evidence

Trump's motion, led by his attorneys Todd Blanche and Chris Kise, contends that the alleged mishandling of documents hinders Trump's ability to demonstrate his lack of knowledge and intent regarding the classified materials. They argue that the FBI failed to maintain the original order of the documents and neglected to properly document how the classified documents were mixed with personal items.

Steven Cheung, a spokesperson for Trump, released a statement on Tuesday, emphasizing the high stakes, stating, "Trump had moved to dismiss the ‘documents hoax due to DOJ evidence tampering.’ He added that "Deranged Jack Smith was forced to admit in a public filing that he and his Thugs committed blatant evidence tampering by mishandling the very documents they used as pretext to bring this fake case."

Trump’s attorneys highlighted in the filing that the FBI's filter team did not make an effort to maintain the order of the seized documents, which significantly impacts Trump's defense strategy.

Court Allegations of Prosecutor Misconduct

The motion filed by Trump also alleges that Smith’s office presented false statements regarding the condition and handling of evidence to the court. Trump’s defense cited several instances in which the special counsel allegedly misled the court about the documents' integrity and their sequential order.

Last month, the special counsel’s office admitted that there were inconsistencies between some boxes and their associated scans.

Prosecutors confirmed that despite the reordering, each box still contained the same materials as when they were seized. However, Trump’s attorneys argue that this mishandling constitutes bad faith and politically motivated prosecution.

Claims of Bad Faith and Political Motivation

Trump's legal team includes multiple claims of bad faith actions by the prosecution, particularly focusing on delays in disclosing critical information. They argue these delays have hindered Trump’s ability to prepare a robust defense.

The FBI's raid on Mar-a-Lago took place on Aug. 8, 2022, resulting in the seizure of 39 boxes of documents.

Since then, Trump’s team has filed several motions seeking the case's dismissal, asserting that the search was unlawful.

Court’s Reactions and a Separate Legal Development

Judge Cannon's recent denial of Trump’s request to dismiss several charges signifies a significant legal development in the case. However, Cannon did strike one prejudicial paragraph from the indictments against Trump.

Furthermore, the Special Counsel’s office reiterated in its filings that Trump has failed to provide adequate factual or legal support for his spoliation claims. They remain confident that they have met and exceeded all discovery and legal obligations.

The Special Counsel’s office stated, "The defendant has failed to provide factual or legal support for a spoliation claim under controlling Eleventh Circuit and Supreme Court case law. The government has met and exceeded its discovery and other legal obligations. The defendant’s misconduct allegations are, once again, false."

Conclusion

The ongoing legal battle between former President Donald Trump and the FBI regarding classified documents continues to evolve. Trump's most recent motion to dismiss the case argues that the FBI destroyed exculpatory evidence and mishandled documents, impacting his ability to defend himself.

Despite several filings and legal maneuvers, the court has yet to dismiss all of the charges against Trump, with one prejudicial paragraph being struck from the indictments.

The case hinges on the integrity of the seized documents and the alleged actions of the prosecution. The outcome of this legal struggle remains to be seen, as both sides continue to present their arguments