Judge rules to allow release of special counsel's report into Donald Trump's 2020 election interference case

A federal judge indicated that the U.S. Department of Justice can release Special Counsel Jack Smith's report on former President Donald Trump's alleged interference in the 2020 election. This ruling on Monday marks the latest court battle regarding the highly anticipated document, just days before Trump's potential return to the White House.

The former president appeared via video link, complaining that the court trial was a "terrible experience," following his conviction for a scheme involving hush-money payments to adult film actress Stormy Daniels. U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, who was appointed by Trump near the end of his first term, had previously blocked the Justice Department from releasing the full report.

However, she temporarily rejected the Justice Department's request to allow congressional leaders to review the second part of Mr. Smith's report, which pertains to Trump's retention of classified documents, and scheduled an emergency hearing for Friday to hear arguments on the matter. Trump has denied any wrongdoing in both cases.

But a temporary ban on the immediate release of the report remains in effect until Tuesday, and U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon's order is unlikely to be the final word on the matter, as it could be challenged by defense lawyers. Attorney General Merrick Garland had previously stated his intention to make public the first part of Mr. Smith's report on Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election, but he would avoid releasing the section on the classified documents case due to ongoing criminal proceedings against Trump associates Walt Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira.

Mr. Smith officially resigned from his position as Special Counsel on January 10th. As a former war crimes prosecutor, Mr. Smith brought two of the four criminal cases against Trump after he left office, but these cases have stalled after Judge Cannon dismissed the classified documents case and the U.S. Supreme Court—with three justices appointed by Trump—ruled that the former president had broad immunity from prosecution for official acts. Neither case went to trial, and the Justice Department has since dropped charges against Trump, citing the department’s long-standing policy against prosecuting a sitting president.

Trump spokesman Steven Cheung said in a statement, "It is time for Joe Biden and Merrick Garland to do the right thing and finally stop politicizing our justice system." If Monday's ruling stands, it could open the door for the public to learn more in the coming days about Trump's frantic but ultimately failed efforts to cling to power ahead of the deadly January 6, 2021, Capitol riot.