Ex-Mueller prosecutor thinks Judge Cannon set a “blocker” to limit when other cases can go to trial

Former federal prosecutor Andrew Weissmann thinks Trump-appointed U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon is using a highly unlikely trial date as a “blocker” to limit when other cases can go to trial.

MSNBC anchor Alex Wagner on Wednesday questioned why Cannon, who is overseeing Trump’s classified documents case, hasn’t moved the scheduled May 20 trial date, which is unlikely given the current pre-trial schedule, since the judge in Trump’s D.C. election subversion case may set a trial for May or June.

"I have a cynical take on the trial date, which is I think Judge Cannon was trying to use it as a blocker, meaning that it was sitting there and it was a day that she had said to put restrictions on where other people could move," said Weissmann, who served on special counsel Bob Mueller’s team.

"What I find interesting is that it is so obvious that everyone is like 'There is no way that that is happening!' and I think as Judge Chutkan, and the New York judge, are like ‘we are not even going to take it seriously because it is so obvious,’” he said.

“She was trying to use it as a blocker,” Weissmann added, but “everyone in the system knows that is not happening.”