WASHINGTON – U.S. District Judge Eileen Cannon on Monday issued an injunction barring the Justice Department from releasing a voluminous report released by former special counsel Jack Smith on President-elect Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn his 2020 election defeat. The request for an extension of the order was denied.
The ruling means that, barring any future legal action by Trump or his team, the Justice Department will be able to release portions of the Smith report on Trump’s efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss as early as this morning. This means that the announcement may be made even at midnight. Cannon maintained a partial release ban on the report on the classified documents case, but the Justice Department said it does not intend to release it at this time.
The Justice Department has a petition pending with the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals seeking immediate release of portions of its report on the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol, but the court has yet to rule. I haven’t.
After Cannon’s ruling on Monday, Trump’s lawyers made a final push to ask her to block the release of Smith’s entire report.
Mr. Smith resigned on Friday, and Attorney General Merrick Garland told Congress he would release a report on Mr. Trump’s 2020 efforts if legally permitted. The report on President Trump’s handling of classified documents will not be made public because his two co-defendants are still indicted.
The long-awaited report on President Trump’s election interference efforts in the lead-up to the January 6 attack is expected to be released days before Trump takes the oath of office.
Trump was charged with four federal felonies in connection with his attempt to overturn his election loss, but the case was stalled by delay tactics and Trump won the 2024 election. It was eventually withdrawn. Trump has denied all wrongdoing.
Regarding the portion of the report regarding classified documents, Cannon said he would hold a hearing Friday on whether that portion could be shared with elected officials.
In a filing Monday night, Trump’s lawyers asked Cannon to extend a temporary injunction on all reports until a hearing on Friday, after which they can participate in the hearing to support a permanent injunction on the reports. He asked that he be allowed to make an argument.
