Donald Trump is trying to block special counsel Jack Smith from publishing a final report on Smith's two failed prosecutions of the president-elect.
Under Justice Department rules, the special counsel's office is required to provide a confidential report to Attorney General Merrick Garland, who will then decide if it should be made public.
Trump's lawyers are also requesting that Smith be fired before Trump's inauguration on January 20.
Newsweek reached out to Trump's attorney for comment via email on Tuesday.
Why It Matters
Smith's report could spell out in damning detail the alleged crimes committed by the president-elect. This likely includes new details on Trump's role in the alleged attempt to overturn the 2020 presidential election result.
What To Know
A heavily redacted, 1,900 page evidence dossier released in October suggested that the report could include details such as Attorney General Bill Barr's attempts to convince Trump that his claims of election rigging were "crazy."
Details of Smith's other federal case against Trump, in which Trump was accused of hiding thousands of pages of presidential documents, could also prove embarrassing.
Unreleased documents in that case are likely to include interviews with unnamed workers at Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, giving more detail on Trump's alleged attempts to hide classified documents from the government.
Trump had pleaded not guilty to all charges in both cases, which were dropped because of the Justice Department's long-standing policy of not prosecuting sitting presidents.
Trump's lawyers, Todd Blanche and John Lauro, wrote to Garland on Monday, asking him not to release Smith's report.
Trump's legal team have been allowed to review the two-volume document in Smith's office in Washington, D.C.
In their letter to Garland, Blanche and Lauro wrote that releasing the report would interfere with the presidential transition process and would be seen by the public as a political act. They also asked Garland to fire Smith, who is planning to resign before Trump's inauguration.
What People Are Saying
Blanche and Lauro wrote that Smith is an "out-of-control private citizen unconstitutionally posing as a prosecutor."
"Accordingly, because Smith has proposed an unlawful course of action, you must countermand his plan and remove him promptly. If Smith is not removed, then the handling of his report should be deferred to President Trump's incoming attorney general, consistent with the expressed will of the People," they wrote.
What Happens Next
The letter says that the release of Smith's report is "imminent" but no date has been set. It is possible, but unlikely, that Garland will decide not to release it publicly.
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