By Steve Neavling
A draft personnel roster circulating within Donald Trump’s campaign and transition team lists Aileen Cannon, the federal judge who dismissed Trump’s classified documents case, as a potential pick for attorney general, according to multiple sources familiar with the situation who spoke to ABC News.
The document, titled “Transition Planning: Legal Principals,” outlines possible appointments for key legal roles, including positions within the Justice Department, the FBI, U.S. attorneys’ offices, and the White House counsel’s office, should Trump win reelection.
ABC News reviewed the document, which was reportedly developed with input from Boris Epshteyn, one of Trump’s closest advisers and head of his legal team.
According to the sources, Cannon’s name ranks second on a list of nearly a dozen candidates for attorney general, following former SEC Chairman Jay Clayton. The sources noted that Cannon was added to the list sometime after the classified documents case was dismissed earlier this summer.
Cannon, who was appointed by Trump in 2020 as a U.S. district judge in Florida, has gained Trump’s favor for her ruling that threw out the 40 criminal charges brought against him by special counsel Jack Smith.
The case, related to Trump’s handling of classified materials after his presidency, was dismissed in July during the Republican National Convention. Cannon argued that Smith’s appointment as special counsel was unconstitutional because he hadn’t been appointed by the president or confirmed by Congress. Smith has since appealed the ruling.
Despite repeated requests, Cannon’s office did not provide a comment to ABC News.
In addition to Cannon, other names circulating for key law enforcement roles in a potential Trump administration could also be seen as controversial, according to sources familiar with further personnel planning documents.
While members of Trump’s transition team emphasize that such lists are tentative and regularly revised, insiders suggest that Trump has mostly avoided formal transition planning discussions with his inner circle at this stage.
Neither representatives for Trump’s campaign nor his transition team responded to requests for comment from ABC News.
