Title: Jack Smith Steps Down Post-Completion of Final Trump Investigation Report
Headline
Title: Jack Smith Steps Down Post-Completion of Final Trump Investigation Report
Special Counsel Jack Smith Steps Down After Completing Trump Investigations: What's Next for the Report?
Introduction
Specialized Prosecutor Jack Smith parted ways with the Department of Justice (DOJ) on Friday, wrapping up his probes into President-elect Donald Trump's actions to overturn the 2020 election and alleged document withholding. The DOJ disclosed this development over the weekend, setting the stage for the release of Smith's report.
Essential Facts
In a court filing submitted to U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, the DOJ revealed that Smith had "parted ways" with the agency on Friday, having completed his tasks and submitting his final report on January 7. The DOJ urged Cannon to not extend her order, issued last week, blocking the agency from revealing Smith's report, until a federal appeals court decision is announced – which occurred on Thursday, giving permission for the report to be published.
In an emergency motion filed on Friday, the DOJ requested the federal appeals court to overturn Cannon's order.
Attorney General Merrick Garland has pledged to release only part of Smith's report, indicating the disclosure of findings pertaining to Trump's attempts to invalidate the 2020 election, but keeping private the section covering Trump's documents situation until the conclusion of the case.
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What Happens Next for Jack Smith's Report?
The report might be published as soon as Sunday, but any attempt by Trump to appeal to the Supreme Court could potentially delay its release. In the event that the release is barred beyond Inauguration Day, a Justice Department under Trump – whose primary objective has been to obstruct the report's release – might not publicly disseminate it.
Background
Appointed by Garland as special counsel in November 2022, Smith reportedly hinted earlier this month that he intended to resign prior to Trump's inauguration. Throughout his two-year tenure, Smith led two federal investigations of Trump – examining Trump's initiatives to reverse the 2020 election outcome and the President-elect's alleged retention of classified documents. However, Smith later requested in November that felony charges against Trump be dropped. A standoff over the report's disclosure escalated earlier this week, when Trump's co-defendants, Walt Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira, requested Cannon and the appeals court to block its public release. Trump has claimed that publishing the report would hinder his presidential transition and constitutes an "equal, if not more so, infringement on the exercise of the executive power." It is uncertain what the report's content is, although most of Smith's evidence against Trump has already been unveiled through court filings. Smith has accused Trump of violating the law by advocating for voter fraud falsities, even when he knew they were unfounded.
Further Reading
Enrichment Data:
Overview
The status of Special Counsel Jack Smith's report on President-elect Donald Trump's endeavors to reverse the 2020 election outcome and document withholding is as follows:
- First Volume Released: The first volume of the report, focusing on Trump's attempts to obstruct the lawful transfer of power following the 2020 presidential election, was published by the DOJ on January 14, 2025. This 137-page volume summarizes the investigation and establishes that the DOJ possesses sufficient proof to secure and sustain a conviction against Trump if he were not a former President [1][4].
- Second Volume Held Back: The second volume, which pertains to Smith's investigation into the classified documents discovered at Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate, remains confidential. The release of this section of the report is being withheld due to ongoing appeals linked to the case involving Trump's co-defendants, Walt Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira. U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon has ordered a court-enforced ban on dissemination of this volume beyond the DOJ, and it is anticipated that the Trump administration might further delay its disclosure [3][4].
- Legal Tussle: There is ongoing legal disagreement over the disclosure of the report. Trump's defense team and his co-defendants have argued that releasing the report could prejudice their cases and have sought to obstruct its exposure. The DOJ has mounted a counter-argument by advocating for the publication of the first volume, while maintaining secrecy of the second volume until the appeals process is resolved [3][5].
In summary, the first volume of the report has been published, but the second volume remains under a court-ordered injunction and is not publicly accessible. The fate of the second volume is tied to the resolution of ongoing appeals related to Trump's co-defendants.
Aileen Cannon, the U.S. District Judge, was involved in a court filing where the Justice Department revealed that Special Prosecutor Jack Smith had parted ways with the agency and submitted his final report on January 7. After Attorney General Merrick Garland pledged to release part of Smith's report, Donald Trump's legal team filed an emergency motion to prevent its publication.