Justice Department says it plans to release only part of special counsel's Trump report for now
Source: AP
Updated 10:15 AM EST, January 8, 2025
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Justice Department said Wednesday that it will release special counsel Jack Smith's findings on Donald Trump's efforts to undo the results of the 2020 presidential election but will keep under wraps for now the rest of the record focused on the president-elect's hoarding of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate.
The revelation was made in a filing to a federal appeals court that was considering a defense request to block the release of the two-volume report while charges remain pending against two Trump co-defendants in the Florida case accusing the Republican former president and current president-elect of illegally holding classified documents. Aileen Cannon, the Trump-appointed judge presiding over the classified documents case, granted the request Tuesday, issuing a temporary block on the report.
The Justice Department said it would proceed with plans to release the first of two volumes centered on the election interference case but would make the classified documents section of the report available only to the chairmen and ranking members of the House and Senate Judiciary Committees for their private review as long as the case against Trump's co-defendants is ongoing.
"This limited disclosure will further the public interest in keeping congressional leadership apprised of a significant matter within the Department while safeguarding defendants' interests," the filing said.
Read more: https://apnews.com/article/trump-jack-smith-jan-6-c788ac8bd4c5b4c4add2338d692d45e0
NOTE THE UPDATE: THE CLASSIFIED STUFF IS GOING TO BE RELEASED TO THE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE LEADERSHIP
Article updated.
Original article -
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Justice Department says it will release special counsel Jack Smith's findings on Donald Trump's efforts to undo the results of the 2020 presidential election but will keep the rest of the report under wraps for now.
The revelation was made in a filing Wednesday to a federal appeals court that was considering a defense request to block the release of the two-volume report while charges remain pending against two Trump co-defendants in a case accusing the Republican former president and president-elect of illegally hoarding classified documents.
dalton99a
(93,975 posts)Bernardo de La Paz
(60,320 posts)Cannon's court order holding up release at this time pending 11th Circuit Court decision is kind of bogus, but regardless it has to be respected until successfully appealed or the 11th rules which may happen soon before any appeal against Cannon's "decision" progresses.
claudette
(5,455 posts)Bogus be respected?
Bernardo de La Paz
(60,320 posts)That is to say, law abiding citizens respect the law until it become untenable, i.e. until there is a revolution or some kind of large societal failure, or until some form of civil protest is appropriate, etc.
Non-law abiding people (hard to call them citizens even if they are), non-law abiding people ignore the law because they think most of it is bogus. Hence tRump, Roy Cohn, Muck, Roger Stone, Stewart Rhodes, Giuliani, etc.
Unladen Swallow
(491 posts)If we won't have the rule of law, we have nothing. Someone has to take the high road, no matter how painful.
dem4decades
(14,016 posts)When has Trump ever obeyed the rules? What price had he actually paid?
Grins
(9,435 posts)...the perpetrators will be in positions of power and it will never be seen again. Just what the Republicans want.
If the positions were reversed, Republicans would use - or create! - a loophole - and do it anyway!
claudette
(5,455 posts)court order is BOGUS (definition. Fake. Counterfeit ) it doesnt deserve respect in my view.
Bernardo de La Paz
(60,320 posts)Thus I used a figure of speech calling 'it' bogus and perhaps I should have been more specific.
endgenocide
(166 posts)I agree though I'm pretty Sure Loose Cannon's court order put the brakes on releasing the J6 report as well. why can Garland ingore only part of her order?
https://www.npr.org/2025/01/07/g-s1-41398/aileen-cannon-jack-smith-trump
BumRushDaShow
(169,137 posts)DENVERPOPS
(13,003 posts)could you imagine an NFL football game, where the refs were forbidden from calling ANY penalties on one of the teams, regardless of how egregious?????
FBaggins
(28,705 posts)You can ask a higher court to overturn her... but you can't ignore her.
Literally having contempt for her rulings may be justified... but it makes it hard to avoid being found in contempt.
kacekwl
(9,119 posts)enough already. Release it all and let the chips fall.
Bernardo de La Paz
(60,320 posts)Yes, I know you weren't specific, but what is left is a few day wait to see how the 11th Circuit rules. Thus what you suggest is leaking rather than waiting.
Regardless, I think the whole report should be released before tRump is inaugurated.
SurfLiberal
(30 posts)And he has immunity, bestowed upon him by the Supreme Court, since it is in the scope of his official duties.
kacekwl
(9,119 posts)of national security in my mind.
NotHardly
(2,705 posts)Garland exposed, through his inaction, the hollowing out of justice and the feckless attitude of towards its responsibility to the public. Garland and his ilk are POS weaponized by Republicans. And you ain't seen nothing yet.
Gnomad
(10 posts)...for a year or 2
Owens
(594 posts)Bernardo de La Paz
(60,320 posts)Yes, he is spineless but this is not that.
DV1
(142 posts)Joke.
LastLiberal in PalmSprings
(13,288 posts)On the other hand we have two men who moved boxes as told by their boss.
Should we let evil prevail? The two men weren't involved in January 6th, so why should the evidence against the individual who committed treason be thrown out because of an unrelated case? Actually, a delay will work as well as a SCOTUS decision in T***p's favor. Once he puts his hand on the Official God Bless America Bible (available for $59 -- $1,000 for a copy allegedly signed by the Big Kuna himself*), he's essentially king and all the documents disappear, along with anyone who has seen them.
Oh, that's right -- Judge Cannon has her eye on the prize, a seat on the SCOTUS. What she doesn't realize is that once Felon47 is sworn in and virtually untouchable he'll toss her in the trash bin with his first two wives. In Trumpworld loyalty only flows one way -- toward him.
Where is Daniel Ellsberg when we need him?
thesquanderer
(12,992 posts)re: "The two men weren't involved in January 6th, so why should the evidence against the individual who committed treason be thrown out because of an unrelated case?"
The two men were involved in the classified docs case... that evidence isn't being thrown out, but for now is only being released to the Judiciary Committee leadership (because of the legal situation of those two men).
As for the unrelated Jan 6 case, that evidence is being released.
(Based on the OP.)
claudette
(5,455 posts)judge in FL telling the DOJ what to do. Garland is a wuss
Irish_Dem
(81,075 posts)lastlib
(28,170 posts)Let's hope the D's in the Senate will get their take on it out first.
Gnomad
(10 posts)...and the new session has new leadership.
Chair Grassley is the worst of the worst.... he was standing by waiting for Pence to be assassinated for his own promotion to Prez of Senate to announce Trump as winner in 2020.
I dont expect Grassley to release a damning report on trump.
Schiff surprised me by not objecting to DISQUALIFIED trump at Electoral confirmation.
He was a star on House J6 Committee
This is going to SUCK:
The new Senate Judiciary Leadership
https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/
(They have Grassley listed as a DEMOCRAT, bc they have to lie about everything?)
lastlib
(28,170 posts)Damn.
But I thought the post said it would be released to the House as well. And I was under the impession that members from both parties would have access. What do I know?
The OP article says
"The Justice Department said it would proceed with plans to release the first of two volumes centered on the election interference case but would make the classified documents section of the report available only to the chairmen and ranking members of the House and Senate Judiciary Committees for their private review as long as the case against Trump's co-defendants is ongoing."
Botany
(77,208 posts)We need to see all of it along with the Mueller report, Trumps phone call to Zelenskyy
and his talk with Vlad Putin in Helsinki.
FalloutShelter
(14,429 posts)Someone should leak this report.
Then Biden should pardon them.
Bernardo de La Paz
(60,320 posts)FalloutShelter
(14,429 posts)Think. Again.
(22,456 posts)We are about to install a nazi administration.
We should have been proactive and aggressive to stop this all along.
Bernardo de La Paz
(60,320 posts)Think. Again.
(22,456 posts)Bernardo de La Paz
(60,320 posts)Think. Again.
(22,456 posts)Bernardo de La Paz
(60,320 posts)Think. Again.
(22,456 posts)ETA: but are you suggesting we wait a bit before someone leaks?
Easy for you to say someone should risk years in federal penitentiary after waiting a brief time.
Attilatheblond
(8,803 posts)Everybody wants what they want right now, but that isn't prudent in this case.
Bernardo de La Paz
(60,320 posts)1) Her dismissal of documents case, without prejudice. Thus it can be reinstated, perhaps in front of another judge.
2) Her blocking the report, which was made when no case was before her.
They have overruled her previously. I do not think even tRump would nominate her for SCotUS with her record.
Gnomad
(10 posts)Trump would put Denny Crane on scotus if he didnt have somebody worse lined up
Gnomad
(10 posts)By " sending the case back into court" I hope back to a different, more qualified judge.
Cannon is a turd for trump. So is Pam Bondi (also Floriduh) Trump's new us attorney general pick.
It's not like we need this case to impeach him. We had everything we needed to Disqualify him and slept on it.
Yes this would be an Espionage Act case, by the end of it... he gets away with everything, even Enemy of the State and Treason. I am sure of it.
Who would take up the case?
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/special-counsel-jack-smith-team-resign-trump-takes-office-rcna179928
C_U_L8R
(49,338 posts)What a mess.
BumRushDaShow
(169,137 posts)Boomerproud
(9,275 posts)BumRushDaShow
(169,137 posts)or even anything "sensitive"?
I know for my federal job, I had to get clearance for "Level 6" (Public Trust/High Risk) due to some of the info that I handled, and that required a periodic background checks and was not even for anything "Top Secret".
Mister Ed
(6,918 posts)That's very good news, is it not?
In regards to that remaining case: does the DOJ have any legal means of overriding Judge Cannon's order? Perhaps DU'ers with legal expertise can weigh in on that question.
BumRushDaShow
(169,137 posts)because some of it is obviously "Classified" (which is why it was called "the Classified Documents case" ) and they have CLEARANCE. They will probably review it in a SCIF.
gab13by13
(32,121 posts)a half loaf is better than none.
Now, if Garland redacts 3/4 of the report I won't be surprised.
As far as the stolen classified documents go, would it be proper for the National Archives to give a semi-detailed report about what documents are still missing? Never mind; wishful thinking.
Autumn
(48,948 posts)Firestorm49
(4,540 posts)orangecrush
(30,127 posts)Joinfortmill
(21,041 posts)republianmushroom
(22,282 posts)Like Mueller report, redacted and not published with out being redacted.
47 months and counting
lark
(26,067 posts)I hope his life destructs immediately - it's what he totally deserves and has worked hard to accomplish. Is it bribes or threats or just pure cowardice?
kimbutgar
(27,209 posts)FU Garland!
C0RI0LANUS
(3,017 posts)
President Donald Trumpf's official portrait will be hung in every US domestic and overseas facility in the world after 20 Jan 2025.
Deuxcents
(26,691 posts)AverageOldGuy
(3,771 posts)What DOJ said:
What this really means:
Bobstandard
(2,276 posts)In fairness to the defendants, while serving the interests of the American people, all nouns, verbs, and adverbs will be redacted.
Mblaze
(1,012 posts)will refuse to read that report. Ignorance is truly bliss for the Right. It informs their world view.
Scrivener7
(59,384 posts)Deminpenn
(17,461 posts)much more significant for the public to know.
We all know most of the details of the classified documents case and have seen the pictures. Are there some interesting things we don't know in the report? Probably, but eventually it will all come out.
malthaussen
(18,559 posts)LPBBEAR
(654 posts)Here weasel weasel. Come here you little weasel.