The Justice Department has been granted permission to release its investigative report on Donald Trump’s alleged interference in the 2020 election, following a ruling on Monday by U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon. However, a temporary injunction remains in place until Tuesday, leaving the possibility that the matter could escalate to the Supreme Court.
Previously, Judge Cannon had blocked the full publication of the report, which summarizes special counsel Jack Smith’s investigations. Her latest order, however, paves the way for the release of the volume focused specifically on the 2020 election interference case. If Cannon’s decision holds, it could lead to the public unveiling of new details about Trump’s failed efforts to retain power in the lead-up to the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack.
A separate hearing is scheduled for Friday to determine whether another section of the report, addressing classified documents improperly stored at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence, can be shared with members of Congress. The Justice Department has stated that this section will not be made public as long as criminal proceedings against two of Trump’s associates, Walt Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira, remain ongoing.
Despite the clearance for the election interference report, the judge barred the Justice Department from immediately sharing the classified documents section with Congress. Attorneys for Nauta and De Oliveira argued that releasing the report could jeopardize their clients’ rights to a fair trial, given the pending appeal of charges against them.
As a temporary measure, the Justice Department proposed granting access to select congressional members for a private review of the document. Cannon rejected this proposal, opting instead to hold an additional hearing on the matter.
“All parties agree that Volume II is directly tied to this criminal proceeding,” Cannon noted in her ruling. “They also concur that publicly releasing Volume II would conflict with the defendants’ rights to a fair trial and the Justice Department’s policies on disclosing information during active legal proceedings.”
Special counsel Jack Smith stepped down from his role last Friday after submitting the report to Attorney General Merrick Garland.
