Feb 23, 2026 - Politics & Policy

Final report from Trump's classified documents case blocked by judge

April Rubin

Jack Smith speaks into a microphone while seated — Former special counsel Jack Smith in the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. on Jan. 22. Photo: Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images

U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon on Monday permanently blocked the release of former special counsel Jack Smith's final report on President Trump's handling of classified documents.

Why it matters: Her order marks the end of the case and confirms that the American public won't know what the investigation against the president revealed.

Driving the news: Cannon, who was appointed by Trump, dismissed the classified documents case in 2024 after ruling Smith was unlawfully appointed.

In her Monday order, Cannon accused Smith of a "brazen stratagem" to defy that dismissal by compiling a final report for the attorney general even though the case was closed.
Cannon said releasing the final report would present a "manifest injustice" to Trump and other defendants.
Smith's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Catch up quick: The indictment in the case had accused Trump of being "personally involved" in the process of packing and moving boxes, which were stored in various locations at Mar-a-Lago.

Cannon faced scrutiny from legal experts challenging her competence or impartiality in the case.

Go deeper: Why it's still a Trump trade world

Add Axios on Google

Final report from Trump's classified documents case blocked by judge

What to read next