Democrats want AG Garland to drop charges against Trump co-defendants

[Ray]

House Democrats are calling on Attorney General Merrick Garland to release the report on President-elect Trump’s handling of classified documents. They told Garland to take all necessary steps to make sure the report is made public, even if he has to drop the charges against other defendants in the case. 

In a letter to Garland, Democrats on the Judiciary Committee wrote: “It is in the very nature of American democracy that the people have a right to know of the public actions of their public officials, and it is essential to the rule of law that Justice Department special counsel reports continue to be available and accessible to the public.”

Trump was charged with 40 felonies in 2023. He was accused of willfully and wrongfully retaining classified information at his Mar-a-Lago home and trying to cover it up. 

Those charges were dismissed by the judge after she ruled Special Counsel Jack Smith was improperly appointed. 

Two of Trump’s employees, valet Walt Nauta and property manager Carlos De Oliveira were also charged. Their criminal proceedings are pending. 

Smith resigned January 10. Before he left, he wrote two reports – one on the classified documents case, the other on the transfer of power after the 2020 presidential election. The latter report was made public but the classified documents report is still under seal due to the case against Nauta and De Oliveira. 

The Democrats contend this is the only chance to make the report public. They wrote President Trump will likely end the prosecutions against his employees once he takes office anyway, and then instruct the DOJ to permanently bury the report. 

In their letter to Garland, Raskin and Goldman wrote , “While we understand your honorable and steadfast adherence to Mr. Nauta’s and Mr. De Oliveira’s due process rights as criminal defendants, the practical effect of this position is that Volume 2 will almost certainly remain concealed for at least four more years if you do not release it before President-elect Trump’s inauguration on January 20.” 

There is a court hearing January 17 about the release of the classified documents report, but with Trump taking office on January 20, a decision and release would need to take place far faster than the legal process normally proceeds.