A federal judge on Monday allowed the Justice Department to publicly release special counsel Jack Smith’s investigative report on President-elect Donald Trump’s alleged interference in the 2020 election.
The ruling by U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon comes just days before Trump is set to assume office again, sparking intense legal and political debate.
The decision allows for the release of the portion of the report detailing Trump’s alleged efforts to overturn his loss to Democrat Joe Biden. However, a temporary injunction preventing the immediate disclosure remains in effect until Tuesday, leaving room for potential appeals, including to the Supreme Court.
Judge Cannon, a Trump appointee, has played a pivotal role in this case. Earlier, she had blocked the release of the entire report, citing concerns over its impact on ongoing legal matters. Now, her ruling clears the way for one volume of the report to become public but delays the release of another volume related to Trump’s alleged mishandling of classified documents.
The classified documents case has been a contentious issue. In July, Cannon dismissed the charges, ruling that Smith’s appointment as special counsel was unlawful. Following Trump’s victory in the 2024 election, the Justice Department dropped its prosecutions against him, citing a policy that bars federal cases against sitting presidents. However, proceedings against two co-defendants, Walt Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira, remain active.
The Justice Department has proposed a compromise: withholding public release of the classified documents volume while allowing select congressional officials to review it privately. Cannon rejected this proposal, citing concerns about the defendants’ rights to a fair trial and scheduling a hearing for Friday to further deliberate on the matter.
“All parties agree that Volume II expressly and directly concerns this criminal proceeding,” Cannon wrote in her order. “Public release of Volume II would be inconsistent with the fair trial rights of Defendants Nauta and De Oliveira and with Department of Justice Policy governing the release of information during the pendency of criminal proceedings.”
Smith, who transmitted his final report to Attorney General Merrick Garland on January 7, resigned from his position shortly thereafter. The findings have sparked significant public interest, particularly regarding Trump’s alleged attempts to retain power before the January 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection.
If the ruling stands, the election interference volume could provide new insights into Trump’s actions during a turbulent period in U.S. history. However, the classified documents case remains mired in legal uncertainty, and the Friday hearing is expected to shape its trajectory.