Trump Requests Merrick Garland Not Release Final Special Counsel Report
Huff PostLOADING ERROR LOADING Lawyers for Donald Trump on Monday called on Attorney General Merrick Garland to block the release of a report authored by special counsel Jack Smith detailing his findings in the Justice Department’s two criminal cases against the president-elect, which could be made public as soon as this week. As part of their arguments for urging Garland to stop publication of the document, Trump’s attorneys said Smith lacks the constitutional authority to issue the report because he was not properly appointed to the special counsel role, referring to Judge Aileen Cannon’s ruling in the classified documents case earlier this summer. “The Final Report relies on materials to which Smith, as disqualified special counsel, is no longer entitled access — making his attempt to share such materials with the public highly improper.” It’s unclear whether Cannon could have a say in Garland’s decision on whether to make the report public, The Washington Post notes. Apart from the classified documents case, Smith also oversaw Trump’s federal election interference case, involving his efforts to undo President Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 presidential race.