List of witnesses against Trump cannot be secret in documents case, judge rules

US district court judge Aileen Cannon also scheduled a hearing to start the discovery process for classified documents

The federal judge presiding over the criminal prosecution of Donald Trump in the classified documents case ruled against the government in her first pre-trial order on Monday, denying a request from federal prosecutors to file a list of potential witnesses against the former US president under seal.

The government's motion does not explain why filing the list with the court is necessary; it does not offer a particularized basis to justify sealing the list from public view," the US district court judge Aileen Cannon wrote.