A federal judge has temporarily blocked the public release of special counsel Jack Smith’s report on investigations into Donald Trump as an appeals court weighs a challenge to the disclosure of the document. This ruling represents a victory for Trump, as defense lawyers argued that the report would be one-sided and prejudicial.
Trump's Response
Trump responded to the order by criticizing Smith’s investigation, calling it a "fake report" and questioning its validity. The Justice Department's next steps following this order remain unclear, as the report is expected to detail charging decisions in investigations related to Trump's actions.
Legal Battles
The report is anticipated to cover investigations into Trump's handling of classified documents and his attempts to overturn the 2020 election results. The order from U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon prohibits the release of any report information until the appeal is resolved by the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
Trump and his co-defendants had urged Attorney General Garland to block the report's release, claiming it would be a "lawless political stunt" to harm the former president. The release of the report was delayed pending the resolution of the appeal and concerns about prejudicial information.
Justice Department Regulations
Special counsels are required to submit confidential reports at the conclusion of their investigations, and the attorney general decides what information is made public. Reports from previous special counsels, like those on President Joe Biden and the FBI's Russian election interference investigation, have been released in full by Garland.
special counsel, Trump investigations, federal judge, release block
