Judge Chutkan in special prosecutor Jack Smith's Trump probe unseals more docs ahead of election

"If the court withheld information that the public otherwise had a right to access solely because of the potential political consequences of releasing it, that withholding could itself constitute — or appear to be — election interference," the judge argued.

Published: October 18, 2024 12:34pm

Updated: October 18, 2024 1:02pm

U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan, who is presiding over former President Donald Trump's federal Jan. 6 election interference case, on Friday unsealed nearly 1,900 pages of documents from special counsel Jack Smith's investigation for the public to view.

Trump has said the release of such documents ahead of the election on Nov. 5 is election interference in itself. Trump's legal team has said the "asymmetric release of charged allegations and related documents during early voting creates a concerning appearance of election interference." 

The judge in the case disagreed.

"If the court withheld information that the public otherwise had a right to access solely because of the potential political consequences of releasing it, that withholding could itself constitute — or appear to be — election interference," she argued in her order on Thursday evening. 

Read the newly released document here.

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