Rep. Gerald E. “Gerry” Connolly, the top Democrat on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, urged Attorney General Merrick Garland on Thursday to grant him in-camera access to Special Counsel Jack Smith’s report on former President Donald Trump’s alleged mishandling of classified documents.
Connolly’s letter to Garland comes just days after a federal court temporarily blocked publication of the report, citing concerns about prejudicing ongoing criminal proceedings. Connolly argued that his role on the Oversight Committee, which oversees the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), provides grounds for his access to the second volume of Smith’s report, which details Trump’s alleged actions at Mar-a-Lago.
Report Blocked Amid Legal Challenges
On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon issued an order preventing the release of Smith’s two-part report, pending the Eleventh Circuit’s review of an emergency motion filed by Trump’s legal team. Trump’s attorneys allege that publishing the report would constitute a “politically motivated attack” and could unfairly influence related legal proceedings.
