On Tuesday, Judge Eileen Cannon ruled against the Department of Justice (DOJ), blocking it from sharing Special Counsel Jack Smith’s classified documents report with Congress.
The decision came after a hearing where Cannon expressed skepticism about Attorney General Merrick Garland’s plan to submit the report before the conclusion of Donald Trump’s criminal proceedings.
During the Friday hearing, Cannon repeatedly questioned the DOJ’s urgency in providing the report to lawmakers. She also raised concerns about the potential for leaks and the protection of sensitive information.
“Why is there such urgency to disclose this to Congress right now, prior to the conclusion of the criminal proceeding—which would seem to be the ordinary course?” Cannon asked DOJ attorney Elizabeth Shapiro, according to Politico. She pressed for a clear justification, saying, “At the end of the day, what’s the upside of doing this right now?”
Shapiro defended the DOJ’s decision, citing a “historical practice” of releasing special counsel reports to Congress. However, Cannon remained unconvinced, stating she wasn’t satisfied with the reasoning provided.
Shapiro further insisted there was “virtually no likelihood that the report can leak,” but lawyers representing Walt Nauta, a co-defendant in Trump’s case, countered that providing the report to