Outgoing Attorney General Merrick Garland has announced his intention to make Special Counsel Jack Smith’s report on the cases against Donald Trump available to both congressional leaders and the public, once legal hurdles are cleared, signaling a commitment to transparency even as Trump faces continued challenges from the legal system, CNN reports.
In a letter sent to House and Senate Judiciary Committee leaders on Wednesday, Garland outlined his plan to share Smith’s report. The report includes two volumes, one concerning the classified documents case and another focusing on the 2020 election interference charges. Garland indicated that the volume on the 2020 election interference charges would be released to both Congress and the public “when permitted to do so by the court.”
He also expressed his belief that, eventually, even the classified documents portion of the report should become public.
This move comes despite ongoing legal challenges. Trump and his co-defendants are seeking to keep the entire report sealed, which has been characterized by some as a continued effort by political adversaries to attack the former President. Garland’s commitment to transparency is a clear contrast to this effort.
Importantly, Garland noted in the letter that he never disagreed with any of Smith’s proposed actions, stating he found none of them “inappropriate or unwarranted.” Furthermore, Garland stated his intent to release the classified documents volume once proceedings for Trump’s co-defendants, Walt Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira, conclude.
