Judge blocks US Dept. of Justice release of final reports on Trump cases

A federal judge blocked the release Special Counsel Jack Smith's final reports on Trumps criminal case with an order on Tuesday, Jan. 7. — Image credit: Getty Images

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As Straight Arrow News previously reported, lawyers for President-elect Donald Trump asked in a letter published on Monday, Jan. 6, for Attorney General Merrick Garland to stop Special Counsel Jack Smith from releasing his final reports on the election interference and classified documents cases. Now, the federal judge who dismissed Trump’s classified documents case is temporarily blocking the release of those reports.

Judge Aileen Cannon issued an order on Tuesday, Jan. 7, that halts the release of the reports while an appeals court decides on emergency motions filed by Trump’s former co-defendants in the classified documents case.

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Trump associates Walt Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira filed the motions to block the release of the final reports. They argue that the documents show a “one-sided narrative” and that they had “limited access” to them before the documents possible release this week.

Cannon’s ruling means the appeals court will be left to decide whether or not Smith final reports will be released.

Cannon said in her ruling that blocking the reports was necessary “to prevent irreparable harm” to Trump and his associates until the appeals court decides its next steps. Meanwhile, some legal critics are arguing Cannon does not have the authority to block the reports, and that she is seeking to delay the documents release.

The legal battle is playing out less than two weeks before Trump’s inauguration on Monday, Jan. 20, after which his incoming Justice Department will take over the handling of Smith’s reports.

If Smith doesn’t turn in the reports before his planned resignation, Trump’s pick for attorney general, Pam Bondi, could make the final call on the documents’ release.

Evan Hummel (Producer) and Bast Bramhall (Video Editor) contributed to this report.

Tags: federal judge, Courts, Presidential Campaign, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, U.S. Department of Justice, Merrick Garland, Crime, Jack Smith, Trump investigations

[KARAH RUCKER]

AN UPDATE FROM A STORY WE COVERED EARLIER…

AS WE TOLD YOU, LAWYERS FOR PRESIDENT-ELECT DONALD TRUMP ASKED ATTORNEY GENERAL MERRICK GARLAND TO STOP SPECIAL COUNSEL JACK SMITH FROM RELEASING HIS FINAL REPORTS ON THE ELECTION INTERFERENCE AND CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS CASES.

NOW, THE FEDERAL JUDGE WHO DISMISSED TRUMP’S CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS CASE IS TEMPORARILY BLOCKING THE RELEASE OF THE FINAL REPORTS.

JUDGE AILEEN CANNON ISSUING AN ORDER TUESDAY HALTING THE RELEASE OF THE REPORTS WHILE AN APPEALS COURT DECIDES ON EMERGENCY MOTIONS FILED BY TRUMP’S FORMER CO-DEFENDANTS IN THE NOW-DISMISSED CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS CASE.

TRUMP ASSOCIATES, WALT NAUTA AND CARLOS DE OLIVEIRA FILED THE MOTIONS TO BLOCK THE RELEASE OF THE FINAL REPORTS.

ARGUING THE DOCUMENTS SHOW A “ONE-SIDED NARRATIVE” AND THEY HAD “LIMITED ACCESS TO THEM BEFORE THE DOCUMENTS POSSIBLE RELEASE THIS WEEK.

CANNON’S RULING MEANS THE APPEALS COURT WILL BE LEFT TO DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT SMITH’S REPORTS WILL BE RELEASED.

CANNON SAID BLOCKING THE REPORT WAS NEEDED “TO PREVENT IRREPRABLE HARM” TO TRUMP AND ASSOCIATES UNTIL THE COURT DECIDES ITS NEXT STEPS.

SOME LEGAL CRITICS HAVE ARGUED CANNON DOESN’T HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO BLOCK THE REPORTS AND IS SEEKING TO DELAY THE DOCUMENTS RELEASE.

THE LEGAL BATTLE IS PLAYING OUT LESS THAN TWO WEEKS BEFORE TRUMP’S INAUGURATION AFTER WHICH HIS JUSTICE DEPARTMENT WILL TAKEOVER THE HANDLING OF THE REPORTS.

IF SMITH DOESN’T TURN IN THE REPORTS BEFORE HIS PLANNED RESIGNATION, TRUMP’S INCOMING ATTORNEY GENERAL PICK PAM BONDI COULD MAKE THE FINAL CALL.

FOR MORE ON THIS STORY– DOWNLOAD THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP OR VISIT SAN DOT COM.

FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS– I’M KARAH RUCKER.