In a recent development, a federal judge has temporarily blocked Special Counsel Jack Smith from publicly releasing his report concerning the now-suspended investigations into former President Trump. These investigations focused on alleged 2020 election interference and the handling of classified documents.

This action comes in response to an emergency motion filed by Walt Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira, co-defendants in the classified documents case. They sought to prevent the release of the report, citing potential harm. Judge Aileen Cannon granted the motion, temporarily enjoining Smith from disseminating the report outside the Department of Justice.

The injunction will remain in effect until three days following a resolution from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit. While special counsels typically release final reports detailing their findings, the situation is unique given Trump's status as a former president and subsequent president-elect.

Standard procedure dictates that the report would first be submitted to Attorney General Merrick Garland for review. Nauta and De Oliveira have pleaded not guilty to charges related to obstructing the FBI's investigation into classified documents discovered at Mar-a-Lago.

Smith's appointment stemmed from Garland's 2022 decision to investigate both the alleged election interference attempts and the handling of classified documents. Trump has maintained his innocence across all charges. Judge Cannon previously dismissed the classified records case against Trump, citing issues with Smith's appointment. Furthermore, Judge Tanya Chutkan dismissed the 2020 election interference case, and Smith subsequently dropped his appeal in the classified records case.

Trump responded to Judge Cannon's decision, characterizing Smith's report as "fake" and criticizing the investigation as a whole. He questioned the legitimacy of Smith producing a report after the cases were dismissed. Attorney General Garland has previously released reports from special counsels John Durham (investigating the origins of the Trump-Russia probe) and Robert Hur (investigating President Biden's handling of classified documents).