A federal judge has ruled that the Justice Department can publicly release its investigative report on President-elect Donald Trump's 2020 election interference case. The ruling comes amidst a court dispute over the highly anticipated document just days before Trump is set to take office again.
However, a temporary injunction is in place until Tuesday, preventing the immediate release of the report. It is expected that the order may face further challenges, possibly reaching the Supreme Court.
The judge had previously blocked the department from releasing the entire report on investigations into Trump that led to two separate criminal cases. The latest order clears the way for the release of the volume specifically related to Trump's 2020 election interference case.
A hearing has been scheduled for Friday to determine whether the department can share the volume concerning Trump's classified documents case with lawmakers. The department has indicated that it will not disclose this volume publicly while criminal proceedings against two of Trump’s co-defendants are ongoing.
The report was transmitted to Attorney General Merrick Garland by Smith, who resigned from his position on Friday. The ruling, if upheld, could provide the public with more insights into Trump's efforts to retain power leading up to the January 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection.
While the release of the election interference volume has been permitted, the sharing of a separate volume related to Trump’s possession of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago has been halted. This decision was made to prevent any prejudice to Trump's co-defendants, Nauta and De Oliveira, as criminal proceedings against them are still ongoing.
The Justice Department has agreed not to make the document public but will share it with select congressional officials for private review. A hearing has been set for Friday to further address this matter.
All parties involved acknowledge that the second volume directly relates to the criminal proceeding and that its public release could impact the fair trial rights of the defendants and the Department of Justice's policy on information disclosure during ongoing criminal proceedings.
