Attorney General Merrick Garland announced in a letter to Congress on Wednesday that special counsel Jack Smith has ended his investigation into President-elect Donald Trump.
Garland told members of Congress — as required by interior department regulations — that he did not interfere in any way with Smith during the investigation process, according to the letter released by the Justice Department.
Garland also acknowledged in the letter that he is currently barred by District Judge Aileen Cannon. from the release of the report Outside the Department of Justice, but wants to make Volume One of the report on Trump’s efforts to subvert the 2020 election available to the public when the courts “allow it to do so.”
Garland also confirmed that he plans to make the volume of Trump’s report on classified documents available to the leaders of the House and Senate Judiciary Committees as soon as the 11th Circuit gives him permission to do so.
The second volume has yet to be released due to court proceedings against Trump’s accusers.
President-elect Donald Trump arrives at the Washington Capitol on January 8, 2025.
Will Oliver/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
“Consistent with local court rules and Department policy, and to avoid any risk of prejudice to the defendants Waltine Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira, whose criminal cases are pending, I have decided, upon the recommendation of the Special Counsel, that Volume Two should not be pending criminal proceedings against those defendants. has been made public while they are,” Garland wrote.
He continued, “I have determined that upon completion of these criminal proceedings, it would also be in the public interest to release Volume Two of the Report to you and the public, consistent with the law and Department policy.”
The letter was written by Reps. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Reps. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., and Reps. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and Reps. Jamie Raskin, D-Md.
