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In a court filing in response to Trump’s classified documents case, co-defendants requested an injunction to block the release of the report.
The DOJ wrote:
The Special Counsel has already transmitted his Final Report to the Attorney General (as permitted by the district court’s recent order). The Final Report comprises two volumes. Volume One relates to the Special Counsel’s investigation and prosecution of President Donald Trump relating to the 2020 presidential election (Election Case). Volume Two relates to the Special Counsel’s investigation and prosecution of defendants Waltine Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira, as well as President Trump, relating to mishandling of classified documents (Classified Documents Case).
The Attorney General intends to release Volume One to Congress and the public consistent with 28 C.F.R. § 600.9(c) and in furtherance of the public interest in informing a co-equal branch and the public regarding this significant matter. But to avoid any risk of prejudice to defendants Nauta and De Oliveira, the Attorney General has determined, at the recommendation of the Special Counsel, that he will not publicly release Volume Two so long as defendants’ criminal proceedings remain pending.
For the time being, Volume Two will be made available for in camera review only by the Chairmen and Ranking Members of the House and Senate Judiciary Committees upon their request and agreement not to release any information from Volume Two publicly.
It makes sense that the DOJ would not release the classified documents report because there are still ongoing court cases.
The public needs to see the report on 1/6 and Trump’s role in the insurrection. The election is over, but it matters because Trump and his party can’t be allowed to rewrite the history of that day.
Common sense suggested that AG Garland always intended to release the report because if he didn’t, he would not have allowed Jack Smith to write it.
The report is a pale consolation prize for Garland acting too slowly and not prosecuting Trump sooner.
However, I am not convinced that things would have turned out any differently, even if Trump had been prosecuted sooner.
Trump still makes the immunity argument and ends up in the Supreme Court, where the conservative majority likely would have overturned his federal criminal conviction.
Trump runs on being exonerated. Voters are more concerned about inflation than Trump’s alleged crimes, and he wins the election.
In my view, the mistake was made by Democrats not taking legislative action to disqualify Trump when they had control of the government.
The DOJ should kick it into high gear before one of Trump’s allies in the courts blocks the release of the report because Trump should not be allowed to sweep the 1/6 attack under the rug.
What do you think about Garland releasing Jack Smith’s report? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
