Official statements or press releases from the Department of Justice

Trump and Co-Defendants File Emergency Motion to Block Imminent Release of Jack Smith's Two-Volume Report

Jan 7, 2025, 06:59 AM

President-elect Donald Trump and his former co-defendants, Walt Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira, are seeking to block the release of a final two-volume report by special counsel Jack Smith. The report addresses two dismissed federal cases against Trump: one related to election interference and the other concerning the mishandling of classified documents. Trump's lawyers, who reviewed the draft report between January 3 and January 6, are urging Attorney General Merrick Garland to prevent its public release, arguing that it is not in the public interest and could disrupt the ongoing presidential transition. Nauta and De Oliveira, who face ongoing charges related to the classified documents case, have filed an emergency motion with Judge Aileen Cannon to block the report's release, claiming it would prejudice their case. They have requested an emergency hearing, and the special counsel's office has indicated that the report's release to the public would not occur before Friday at the earliest, as its release is considered imminent.