U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon has prohibited the public release of former special counsel Jack Smith’s report regarding the investigation into former President Donald Trump’s alleged mishandling of classified documents. The order, filed on Monday in the Southern District of Florida, cited a number of reasons for this decision, including what Cannon deemed the unlawful appointment of Smith and the deliberative-process determination made by Attorney General Bondi.
Cannon, who was appointed by Trump, noted that Smith’s team had spent several months drafting the report following her dismissal of the classified documents case in July 2024. She previously ruled that Smith’s appointment as special counsel was unconstitutional, a decision disputed by the Biden administration. In 2022, an appeals court criticized Cannon for her handling of the case, indicating she improperly exercised jurisdiction related to the search of Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s Florida estate.
In her ruling, Cannon stated that Smith expedited efforts to finalize the report after her initial dismissal order, utilizing discovery materials associated with the case. Furthermore, she referenced a protective order established in June 2023, which prevents public disclosure of such materials without court approval. Cannon argued that it is uncommon for prosecutors to disclose reports containing extensive evidence following the dismissal of a criminal prosecution without a determination of guilt.
As the presidential transition was approaching in December 2024, Trump’s defense team became aware of plans by Smith to release portions of the report to selected members of Congress. However, Cannon later blocked the Justice Department from providing the report to lawmakers, emphasizing that it contained extensive and detailed information about the case, much of which remained undisclosed in formal legal settings.
Smith, who recently embarked on a new law firm venture, testified before Congress in December about the findings of his investigation. He stated that his team had uncovered compelling evidence suggesting that Trump knowingly retained classified documents after leaving office in January 2021, storing them in various locations within his social club, including in a bathroom and a ballroom. Smith alleged that Trump made multiple attempts to obstruct justice concerning the classified documents discovered during an FBI search of Mar-a-Lago.
Despite the legal battles surrounding these issues, there remains a sense of ongoing legal and political intrigue as the situation unfolds. Smith had also been involved in overseeing the investigation into the 2020 election interference, which resulted in multiple felony charges against Trump, although that case was eventually dismissed as well. This ongoing legal saga serves as a reflection of the complex intersection between law and politics in a tumultuous period for the former president.