Justice Department Seeks to Keep Trump Investigation Report Sealed
The Department of Justice has taken a firm stance to keep a report by former special counsel Jack Smith sealed, describing it as belonging to the “dustbin of history.” This development was detailed in a recent court filing, aligning with President Donald Trump’s legal team’s efforts to block the release of the report.
In a filing submitted on Friday, prosecutors stated, “The illicit product of an unlawful investigation and prosecution belongs in the dustbin of history. The United States will leave it there.” This position supports Trump’s legal team, who recently requested U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon to permanently seal Smith’s report.
The report in question comprises two volumes covering investigations into Trump’s actions following the 2020 presidential election and his handling of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago, Florida. Despite resulting in indictments, these were eventually dropped after Trump’s 2024 election victory due to DOJ policies preventing prosecution of a sitting president.
The Biden administration released one segment of the report related to the election investigation. However, Judge Cannon, a Trump appointee, previously ruled to temporarily prevent the release of the section regarding the classified documents case, restricting Smith from discussing it during his recent testimony before the House Judiciary Committee.
The current injunction is scheduled to lift on February 24. Meanwhile, U.S. Attorney Jason Reding Quiñones and prosecutor Manolo Reboso from the Southern District of Florida have called for the report to remain sealed. They argue the investigation was “unlawful from its inception” and note that Attorney General Pam Bondi has classified the report as “privileged and confidential.”
Furthermore, the prosecutors accused Smith of misusing the Department of Justice against a leading presidential candidate without legal basis, targeting constitutionally protected actions. During his testimony, Smith defended his investigation, asserting, “No one should be above the law in our country, and the law required that he be held to account. So that is what I did.”
Smith’s defense emphasized his commitment to impartiality and the belief that the charges brought were necessary and appropriate.
