U.S. District Judge Eileen Cannon on Tuesday issued an order temporarily blocking the release of Special Counsel Jack Smith's report on two now-dismissed federal cases against President-elect Donald Trump.
Mr. Cannon previously oversaw one of the lawsuits that accused Mr. Trump of mishandling classified documents. In the summer, Cannon ruled that Smith's appointment to the special counsel position was unconstitutional and dismissed charges against the president-elect.
“Temporarily detained.”
But Cannon's firing does not apply to Trump's co-defendants, longtime aide Walt Nauta and Mar-a-Lago property manager Carlos de Oliveira, who each face multiple criminal charges. I am receiving it. The Biden administration's Justice Department continues its case against Nauta and de Oliveira.
Smith criticized Cannon's decision to dismiss a lawsuit over President Trump's appointments, calling it “faulty in its analysis.”
“The Supreme Court held more than 50 years ago that Congress gave the attorney general the power to appoint special prosecutors, such as the Special Counsel,” he argued.
In an earlier court filing, he said the charges against Mr. Nauta and Mr. de Oliveira would proceed because “the principle of temporary immunity does not apply to them.”
Prosecutors said Smith's two-volume report could be released as early as Friday, pending a decision from Attorney General Merrick Garland.
Smith's report details the investigation into Trump's alleged mishandling of classified documents and attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election. Trump pleaded not guilty to all charges, and both cases against him were dismissed.
Lawyers for Mr. Nauta and Mr. de Oliveira previously filed a motion to block the release of the special counsel's report. Their lawyers filed a similar emergency motion with the appeals court.
Cannon's decision prevents the report from being released until three days after the appeals court rules on the issue.
“Pending resolution of the emergency motion filed in the Eleventh Circuit and/or further direction from the Eleventh Circuit, Attorney General Garland, the Department of Justice, Special Counsel Smith, and all of their officers, agents, and employees; and all agents actively cooperating with or participating with such individuals and… temporarily distributing, distributing, communicating, or sharing the final report or any information or conclusions of the final report with anyone other than the Department of Justice. Forbidden. That draft,” Cannon wrote.
Smith's investigation into Trump and his allies reportedly cost taxpayers at least $50 million. President Trump promised to fire Smith “within two seconds” of his re-election if he did not leave office by then.
In November, a spokesperson for the special counsel's office told the New York Post that its duties and ongoing matters could be transferred to “other parts of the Department of Justice and the FBI.”
The Justice Department and the Office of Special Counsel declined to comment. CBS News Reported.
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