CNN
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Judge Eileen Cannon on Tuesday extended a stay that had prevented the Justice Department from sharing with lawmakers Special Counsel Jack Smith’s report on the investigation into President Donald Trump’s mishandling of classified documents.
Her order attacked prosecutors representing former Attorney General Merrick Garland, accusing her of misleading him during a court hearing Friday and denying them a “special role” in criminal activity. he claimed. judicial system.
Before Trump took office, Garland sought to privately share the report with a small group of lawmakers on the condition that he not divulge information from it.
On Tuesday, Cannon accepted arguments brought forward by Trump’s former co-defendants Walt Nauta and Carlos de Oliveira, two of Trump’s employees charged with obstruction-related charges, saying that even though They argued that even limited disclosure could prejudice them if the case went to trial. Last summer, Cannon dismissed the charges, saying Smith’s appointment was unconstitutional, but that decision is being appealed, leaving open the possibility that the charges could be reopened.
“The naive desire of a “limited” tenured attorney general to follow the non-existent “historic practice” of releasing the special counsel’s report while a criminal proceeding is pending is not a valid reason.” wrote Cannon.
“And certainly it does not override the defendants’ clear constitutional interests in this case or this court’s duty to protect the integrity of this case.”
This story has been interrupted and will be updated.
