Federal Judge Aileen Cannon denied a request to extend an injunction preventing the Justice Department from releasing part of former special counsel Jack Smith’s report on President-elect Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss. This means that the Justice Department could release the portion of the report related to Trump’s election interference as soon as midnight, unless there is further legal action. The release of the portion of the report concerning classified documents is still prohibited, as the Justice Department has no plans to release it at this time. The report is expected to come out just before Trump takes office, and Attorney General Merrick Garland has committed to releasing the section related to Trump’s election interference once legally permitted. The portion of the report on classified documents will not be released due to pending charges against two co-defendants. Trump, who denies any wrongdoing, faced federal charges related to his election interference efforts but the case was dropped after he won the 2024 election. A hearing will be held on Friday to determine if the section about classified documents can be shared with select members of Congress.
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