Justice Department to Release Part of Jack Smith's Report on Trump's Election Interference, Withholds Classified Documents Section Amid Ongoing Cases

Jan 8, 2025, 04:53 PM

The U.S. Justice Department has announced plans to release only the first volume of Special Counsel Jack Smith's report, which focuses on former President Donald Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election results. The second volume, concerning Trump's retention of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago, will not be made public for now, as criminal proceedings against Trump's co-defendants, Walt Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira, are ongoing. This decision was detailed in a filing to the Atlanta-based 11th Circuit Court of Appeals, which is reviewing a request to block the release of the entire report. The Justice Department argues that the attorney general's authority to release the election interference section is clear, and it will only provide the classified documents section to key members of Congress for private review. The move comes after Trump-appointed Judge Aileen Cannon temporarily blocked the report's release following a request from Trump's co-defendants.