Cannon reminds Trump to redact witness names as former president faces gag hearing in different venue

Background: Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump attends a news conference with Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., Friday, April 12, 2024, at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)/ Aileen M. Cannon speaks remotely during a Senate Judiciary Committee oversight nomination hearing to be U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida on July 29, 2020, in Washington. (U.S. Senate via AP)

Background: Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump attends a news conference with Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., Friday, April 12, 2024, at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee). Aileen M. Cannon speaks remotely during a Senate Judiciary Committee oversight nomination hearing to be U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida on July 29, 2020, in Washington. (U.S. Senate via AP)

Amid Donald Trump being held in contempt of court in New York at his criminal hush money and election interference trial, U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon in Florida has issued a reminder — and deadline — to the former president: when he files an anticipated motion to dismiss the classified documents on “selective and vindictive prosecution” grounds case by Thursday, he must redact the names of government witnesses.

Cannon entered the paperless order onto the docket in Florida late Tuesday. It reminds Trump that while redacting the names of potential witnesses, he and his attorneys are also to ensure that any “ancillary names” or other personal identifying information is anonymized. She said he must file unredacted versions of the motion and reply under seal by Thursday, May 2.

The full order states:

To facilitate the public docketing of Defendant Trump’s “Motion to Dismiss Indictment Based on Selective and Vindictive Prosecution” and associated filings, and consistent with the Court’s prior Orders 438, 440, 474, 492, Defendant Trump is directed as follows. On or before May 2, 2024, Defendant Trump shall docket the Motion and associated filings publicly, redacting only the names of potential government witnesses (replacing them with anonymized labels provided in the most current Sealed Amended Index 484), ancillary names, and PII. In docketing the Reply, Defendant Trump shall indicate in the docket text the Opposition to which it responds 375. Thereafter, and for record completeness, Defendant Trump shall file under seal unredacted versions of the Motion and Reply. Signed by Judge Aileen M. Cannon on 4/30/2024. (Entered: 04/30/2024)