Chicago – January 07, 2025
On Tuesday, a federal judge temporarily stopped the public release of Special Counsel Jack Smith’s report about investigations into Donald Trump. This decision comes as an appeals court reviews a challenge to the release of the report, just days before Trump is set to reclaim office.
The ruling by U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, who was appointed by Trump, is a small win for the former president. Trump’s defense team filed an emergency request Monday to block the report, claiming it would be biased and unfair. Smith’s legal team is expected to respond to the request later on Tuesday.
After the judge’s order, Trump spoke at a press conference, criticizing the investigation and calling the report “fake,” just as he has with previous inquiries.
It’s still unclear how the Justice Department, which has its own rules for special counsel reports, will proceed after the ruling. The two-part report is expected to detail decisions about criminal charges in two separate investigations: Trump’s handling of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago and his efforts to overturn the 2020 election before the January 6 Capitol riot.
The case is being closely watched as Smith’s report could reveal significant details about Trump’s actions and legal risks.
