BREAKING: Judge Makes Stunning Move in Jack Smith’s Case Against Trump
Judge Aileen Cannon scheduled a motion later this week regarding the release of Jack Smith’s final report on the Mar-a-Lago documents case involving President-elect Donald Trump.
In her ruling on Monday, Cannon referenced the Department of Justice’s statement that “nothing in Volume One of the Final Report… directly or indirectly relates to any evidence or argument relevant to the charges against Defendants Nauta and De Oliveira in this case,” The Post Millennial reports.
The Mar-a-Lago case now focuses on Walt Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira, following Judge Cannon’s dismissal of charges against Trump earlier this year.
Nauta, a presidential valet, and De Oliveira, a Mar-a-Lago staff member, are accused of collaborating with Trump to hide classified national security documents at the Palm Beach, Florida, resort, according to the New York Post.
Cannon had previously thrown out Smith’s documents case against Trump, ruling that his appointment was unconstitutional due to a lack of congressional approval. Meanwhile, Trump’s legal team has argued that Smith’s report could disrupt the president-elect’s transition.
Cannon emphasized that the second volume of the final report presents contested legal and factual issues, which need to be resolved after a full briefing and a hearing.
The Department of Justice has indicated that they wish to make a “limited disclosure” of this volume to congressional leadership, citing public interest in keeping Congress informed on such matters.
However, the legal team also emphasized the need to protect the interests of the defendants in the case.
A hearing has been scheduled by Cannon for Jan. 17 at 2 p.m. to further discuss the release of the Mar-a-Lago report.
This hearing is expected to play a pivotal role in determining when and how the documents will be made public.
At the same time, Cannon blocked the Department of Justice from releasing Volume II of the Mar-a-Lago report until the emergency motion hearing is concluded.
In her order, she expressed concerns that releasing this volume, even in a limited capacity, could “irreversibly and substantially impair the legal rights of Defendants in this criminal proceeding.”
Cannon made it clear that she is not willing to allow the report’s release to Congress based solely on generalized public interest.
She pointed out that a full briefing and a hearing are necessary to evaluate the situation properly, noting that the Department of Justice has not provided sufficient justification for why Volume II should be released before the legal process has played out.
The hearing and deliberation are set to happen in the coming weeks.
This is a breaking story and will be updated.
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