Judge Aileen Cannon Permanently Blocks Jack Smith's Trump Classified Docs Report

A federal judge in Florida has permanently sealed special counsel Jack Smith’s final report on Donald Trump’s retention of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago, handing the former president a sweeping courtroom victory and frustrating transparency advocates. Judge Aileen Cannon, whom Trump appointed to the bench in 2020, ruled that publishing the 15-page report would “contravene basic notions of fairness and justice” because the underlying criminal case was dismissed in 2024 after she declared Smith’s appointment unconstitutional. Cannon said disclosing the draft would amount to a “manifest injustice” and could expose grand-jury material as well as attorney-client communications. A RARE JUDICIAL REBUKE While past special counsels such as Robert Mueller and John Durham released public summaries, Cannon noted she could find no precedent for unveiling a report once charges had been filed and later tossed. Her decision binds the Justice Department—which reversed course after Trump’s January 2025 inauguration and now also opposes release—effectively foreclosing future Freedom of Information Act requests. REACTION FROM BOTH CAMPS • Trump campaign: Attorney Kendra Wharton hailed Cannon’s “courage,” arguing the decision exposes “a brazen stratagem” by prosecutors who kept writing after the case collapsed. • Transparency groups: The Knight First Amendment Institute called the order “impossible to square with the First Amendment,” vowing to continue its Eleventh Circuit appeal on behalf of media outlets and watchdogs seeking disclosure. • Legal scholars: Some conservative attorneys praise Cannon for defending due-process rights; others warn the ruling may not survive appellate scrutiny because it bars even a redacted release that could address secrecy concerns. IMPLICATIONS FOR THE CLASSIFIED-DOCUMENTS SAGA The sealing order deprives Congress and the public of Smith’s narrative about how and why hundreds of classified files ended up at Mar-a-Lago after Trump left the White House. It also prevents insight into allegations that Trump directed aides Walt Nauta and Carlos de Oliveira to move boxes and mislead investigators. Smith’s first-volume report on Trump’s post-election conduct was made public in January 2025; the newly suppressed second volume reportedly runs more than 400 pages and contains interview transcripts, forensic timelines, and national-security damage assessments. WHAT HAPPENS NEXT 1. Appeals: Media coalitions and public-interest groups are urging the Eleventh Circuit to overturn Cannon’s denial of their motion to intervene; a reversal could reopen the debate over partial disclosure. 2. Legislative pressure: Democratic lawmakers on the House Oversight Committee are drafting letters to Attorney General John Ratcliffe demanding that DOJ seek expedited appellate review. 3. Political fallout: The ruling enables Trump to claim exoneration as he campaigns for down-ballot allies in the 2026 midterms, underscoring how legal battles continue to double as electoral messaging. BOTTOM LINE Judge Aileen Cannon’s order blunts one of the last avenues for public accountability in the classified-documents probe and cements her role as a pivotal arbiter in Trump-related litigation. Unless a higher court intervenes, the most comprehensive account of the Mar-a-Lago episode will remain locked away indefinitely—shielding Trump from potentially damaging revelations and raising fresh questions about the balance between fair-trial rights and the public’s right to know.