Judge blocks US Dept. of Justice release of final reports on Trump cases

[KARAH RUCKER]

AN UPDATE FROM A STORY WE COVERED EARLIER…

AS WE TOLD YOU, LAWYERS FOR PRESIDENT-ELECT DONALD TRUMP ASKED ATTORNEY GENERAL MERRICK GARLAND TO STOP SPECIAL COUNSEL JACK SMITH FROM RELEASING HIS FINAL REPORTS ON THE ELECTION INTERFERENCE AND CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS CASES.

NOW, THE FEDERAL JUDGE WHO DISMISSED TRUMP’S CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS CASE IS TEMPORARILY BLOCKING THE RELEASE OF THE FINAL REPORTS.

JUDGE AILEEN CANNON ISSUING AN ORDER TUESDAY HALTING THE RELEASE OF THE REPORTS WHILE AN APPEALS COURT DECIDES ON EMERGENCY MOTIONS FILED BY TRUMP’S FORMER CO-DEFENDANTS IN THE NOW-DISMISSED CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS CASE.

TRUMP ASSOCIATES, WALT NAUTA AND CARLOS DE OLIVEIRA FILED THE MOTIONS TO BLOCK THE RELEASE OF THE FINAL REPORTS. 

ARGUING THE DOCUMENTS SHOW A “ONE-SIDED NARRATIVE” AND THEY HAD “LIMITED ACCESS TO THEM BEFORE THE DOCUMENTS POSSIBLE RELEASE THIS WEEK.

CANNON’S RULING MEANS THE APPEALS COURT WILL BE LEFT TO DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT SMITH’S REPORTS WILL BE RELEASED.

CANNON SAID BLOCKING THE REPORT WAS NEEDED “TO PREVENT IRREPRABLE HARM” TO TRUMP AND ASSOCIATES UNTIL THE COURT DECIDES ITS NEXT STEPS.

SOME LEGAL CRITICS HAVE ARGUED CANNON DOESN’T HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO BLOCK THE REPORTS AND IS SEEKING TO DELAY THE DOCUMENTS RELEASE.

THE LEGAL BATTLE IS PLAYING OUT LESS THAN TWO WEEKS BEFORE TRUMP’S INAUGURATION AFTER WHICH HIS JUSTICE DEPARTMENT WILL TAKEOVER THE HANDLING OF THE REPORTS.

IF SMITH DOESN’T TURN IN THE REPORTS BEFORE HIS PLANNED RESIGNATION, TRUMP’S INCOMING ATTORNEY GENERAL PICK PAM BONDI COULD MAKE THE FINAL CALL.

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FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS– I’M KARAH RUCKER.