A federal judge temporarily blocked the release of special counsel Jack Smith’s report on the investigation involving President-elect Donald Trump. The injunction will be in place until the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rules on a request to block the report over a separate matter involving Trump’s co-defendants. The request was made by Walt Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira, who argued that releasing details about their alleged obstruction of justice efforts could affect their right to a fair trial. The judge ruled to preserve the status quo while the higher court decides on the matter.
Attorneys for Nauta and De Oliveira filed a separate petition to the 11th Circuit asking to block the report early Tuesday. They expressed concern that the report’s release could impact their legal proceedings. Smith planned to send his report to Attorney General Merrick Garland, but the filing stated that Garland had not yet determined how to handle the report volume related to the case.
President Trump, despite not being a defendant in the case, filed a motion asking the judge to intervene and prevent the report from being shared with the Attorney General before the emergency motion was resolved. The order issued by the judge prohibits the release, sharing, or transmission of the report outside the Department of Justice until the issue is resolved by the appeals court. The injunction will remain in effect unless the Eleventh Circuit orders otherwise.
Photo credit
www.nbcnews.com
