House Democrats Seek to Unseal Jack Smith’s Report

House Democrats are gearing up to ask a federal judge in Florida to unseal the final report from former special counsel Jack Smith. This move comes ahead of Smith’s upcoming congressional testimony next week.

According to court documents reviewed, 19 members of the House Judiciary Committee criticized Judge Eileen Cannon’s ongoing order that prevents the release of Smith’s investigation report concerning President Donald Trump and classified documents. They argue that this order is unfounded and obstructs Congress’s responsibilities.

“Continued oppression is Volume II of Smith’s report. It only hampers the constitutional process where political branches oversee each other while informing the American people,” the brief states.

Democrats, led by Rep. Jamie Raskin from Maryland, have also sent another letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi, questioning her rationale for withholding the report. They find the continued non-release of the report to be “puzzling” and emphasize that Cannon’s ruling does not stop the Justice Department from sharing the report with Congress. They suggested Bondi could request Cannon to lift the seal, yet she hasn’t taken that step.

“The current administration claims that President Trump is ‘the most transparent and approachable president in American history.’ Yet your efforts to suppress the Smith report contradict that assertion,” the Democrats highlighted, asserting that allowing prosecutors to defend their actions before Congress without offering a written account undermines accountability.

In a related note, the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals has instructed Cannon to decide whether to release the report by next month. A spokesperson shared, “Judge Cannon will make a ruling on Volume 2 by January 2026. Smith is set to be questioned next week regarding the full scope of the investigation.” They pointed out that Raskin seems to show contempt for Trump, preferring to mislead the public rather than present accurate information.

Republicans have issued a subpoena for Smith to provide closed-door testimony next week as part of their investigation into his role as special counsel.

Cannon, appointed by Trump, initially blocked the report’s release in January, citing concerns it might affect Trump’s lawsuit involving classified documents. Although Smith dropped some charges after Trump won the election, the Justice Department later dismissed the charges against Trump’s co-defendants this year. However, a filing from the U.S. attorney for southern Florida recently indicated that releasing the report could still result in “extraordinary prejudice” against the former defendants.