Judge Chutkan Orders Release of Jack Smith's Evidence; 1,900 Pages Unsealed in Trump Election Case

Oct 18, 2024, 03:25 PM

On October 17, 2024, former President Donald Trump's legal team requested U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan to delay the release of an appendix containing additional evidence gathered by Special Counsel Jack Smith in the federal election interference case until November 14, 2024, a week after the November 5 election. Trump's attorneys argued that releasing the appendix before the election could influence voters and that the public has a right not to have information released that might impact voters. They accused Jack Smith of "cherry-picking" evidence and delaying the release of their own appendix. Judge Chutkan denied Trump's request the same day, stating that the court would unseal the appendix on October 18, 2024. She emphasized that withholding information that the public has a right to access could itself constitute or appear to be election interference. As ordered, on October 18, 2024, the court released the appendix, which consists of nearly 1,900 pages of documents supporting the prosecution's case against Trump in the January 6 election interference case. The unsealed evidence includes four volumes, although many sections remain heavily redacted. The documents provide a limited look at the materials collected by Jack Smith's team, which will be used to support the prosecution if the case goes to trial. Despite the unsealing, Trump's legal team continues to argue that the release of these documents ahead of the election could harm his presidential campaign.