The Justice Department announced on Wednesday that it will be releasing special counsel Jack Smith's findings on former President Donald Trump's attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. However, the section of the report focusing on Trump's alleged hoarding of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate will remain confidential for now.
The decision to release the election interference portion of the report comes amidst ongoing legal proceedings against two of Trump's co-defendants in a separate case related to the classified documents issue. The Justice Department plans to provide the classified documents section of the report to select members of Congress for private review while the case against the co-defendants is ongoing.
The release date for the election interference report has not been specified, as the Justice Department seeks to reverse a temporary block imposed by a Trump-appointed judge in the classified documents case. The department argued that the attorney general has the authority to disclose the election interference findings publicly, as they are unrelated to the co-defendants' legal situation.
The special counsel's report is expected to outline the results of two investigations conducted by Jack Smith. One of the investigations, focusing on the classified documents issue, was dismissed in July due to legal challenges regarding Smith's appointment.
Following a Supreme Court ruling on presidential immunity, the election interference case against Trump was significantly narrowed, as the court established broad immunity for former presidents. Smith's team dropped both cases after Trump's reelection victory, citing Justice Department policy against prosecuting sitting presidents.
Attorney General Merrick Garland has a track record of making public the reports produced by special counsels under his supervision, including recent reports on President Joe Biden's handling of classified information and the FBI's Russian election interference investigation.
