Judge allows release of Jack Smith's report on Trump election interference case

WASHINGTON — U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon on Monday denied a request to extend an injunction that would have barred the Justice Department from releasing a report by former special counsel Jack Smith that Relating to President-elect Donald Trump's efforts to overturn his 2020 election defeat.

The ruling means the Justice Department can release as early as midnight the portions of the Smith report that deal with Trump's efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss, barring Trump or his team from taking future legal action. Cannon left in place a rule prohibiting the release of the portion of the report related to the classified documents case, which the Justice Department has said it does not plan to release at this time.

The Justice Department is still filing a pending motion with the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals seeking the immediate release of portions of its report on the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol, but the court has not yet ruled on it.

After Cannon's ruling on Monday, Trump's lawyers made a last-ditch effort to prevent Smith's entire report from being made public.

Smith resigned on Friday, and Attorney General Merrick Garland told Congress that he would release a report on Trump's 2020 efforts if allowed by law. The report into Trump's handling of classified documents will not be made public because two co-defendants still face charges.

A long-awaited report on Trump's election interference before the Jan. 6 attack is expected to be released days before he is sworn in.

Trump was charged with four federal felonies for trying to overturn his election defeat, but the case was stymied by delaying tactics and eventually dropped after Trump won the 2024 election. Trump denies all wrongdoing.

As for the portion of the report regarding classified documents, Cannon said she will hold a hearing on Friday to discuss whether that portion can be shared with select members of Congress.

In Monday night's filing, Trump's lawyers asked Cannon to extend her temporary block on all reports until a hearing on Friday, and then allow them to attend the hearing and argue in favor of a permanent block on the reports.