Trump-Appointed Judge Bars Release of Jack Smith’s Report in Documents Case
The New York Times • • general
Key Points:
- A Trump-appointed federal judge, Aileen M. Cannon, has permanently barred the Justice Department from releasing special counsel Jack Smith’s report on President Trump’s mishandling of classified documents after leaving office in 2021.
- Judge Cannon criticized Smith for preparing the report after she dismissed the classified documents case and found his appointment as special counsel improper, calling it a "brazen stratagem" and a violation of her dismissal order.
- The judge ruled that releasing the report would cause "irreparable damage" to Trump and his co-defendants and would violate principles of fairness and justice.
- Jack Smith previously dropped the election interference case against Trump after the 2024 election, and the related report (Volume I) was released publicly
