Trump’s attorneys have reviewed draft of Smith’s final special counsel report and want it blocked from public release
CNNDEC 24 2024
Judge Blocks Release of Special Counsel's Trump Report
Above: Special Counsel Jack Smith on Aug. 1, 2023. Image copyright: Drew Angerer/Staff/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Facts
US Judge Aileen Cannon on Tuesday temporarily blocked the Justice Department (DOJ) from releasing Special Counsel Jack Smith's final report about investigations into Pres.-elect Donald Trump.
The two-volume report covers Smith's investigations into Trump's alleged mishandling of classified documents and his efforts to overturn the 2020 election results. Both cases were dismissed after Trump won the 2024 presidential election.
On Monday, Trump's former co-defendants, Walt Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira, filed an emergency motion arguing the report's release would cause them irreparable harm while their case remains under appeal.
The Spin
Republican narrative
Smith's report represents an unlawful political attack designed to harm Trump before he takes office and it shouldn't see the light of day. It contains one-sided accusations from an unconstitutionally appointed prosecutor who lost his cases and should be removed immediately.
Democratic narrative
Cannon has continued her habit of issuing rulings favorable to the president who appointed her. The public has a right to see this report and know the extent of the investigations against the president-elect. For someone who claims innocence, Trump is going out of his way to block this report.