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Trump Tries to Block DOJ Release of Jack Smith Report on Classified Docs Case

16 17
22.01.2026

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As his administration continues dragging its feet in releasing the Epstein files, President Donald Trump is pushing to keep another potentially damning set of Justice Department documents hidden from the public.

On Tuesday, Trump filed a 19-page motion requesting that the US District Court of the Southern District of Florida step in to prohibit the DOJ’s planned release of Volume II of the final report prepared by former Special Counsel Jack Smith next month. The volume relates to the president’s handling of classified documents after leaving office in 2021.

Trump was indicted by a grand jury for 37 felony counts following Smith’s investigation, 31 of which involved violations of the Espionage Act, after transporting “scores of boxes” full of classified materials, including top-level military and intelligence secrets, to his home at Mar-a-Lago and showing them off to people without security clearances.

But Smith ultimately dropped the case in November 2024 after it became clear that Trump’s reelection would shield him from legal liability.

It's strange for the President of the United States to be litigating in his personal capacity against the Justice Department he runs — but he's seeking an order barring "current, former and future" DOJ officials from releasing Jack Smith's second volume. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us…

On January 7, 2025, just days before Trump reassumed office, the DOJ released Volume I of Smith’s report, which pertained to Trump’s attempts to overturn his loss in the 2020........

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