If the Epstein Files were not enough, Trump has another set of files to worry about. The President does not want the Department of Justice to release former Special Counsel Jack Smith’s report on his alleged misuse of classified government documents.
In a predictable move, Attorney General Pam Bondi has complied with Trump’s wishes. According to The Daily Beast, on Friday, government lawyers told the District Court for the Southern District of Florida that Volume II of Smith’s report should not be declassified and should remain within the DOJ.
The documents in question are a record of Smith’s investigation into possible criminal actions by Trump. Smith was appointed as a special counsel by former Attorney General Merrick Garland in 2022 to look into Trump’s role in mishandling government records.
Pam Bondi just killed any chance of us seeing Volume II of Jack Smith’s investigation into Donald Trump stealing classified documents. pic.twitter.com/nsesxSsiJh
— Quadcarl (@Quadcarl) January 23, 2026
The President was accused of illegally keeping classified documents and defense-related files at Mar-a-Lago after the conclusion of his first term in 2021.
The 79-year-old was indicted in June 2023. However, the case was dismissed by Judge Aileen Cannon in 2024, citing that Smith’s appointment as special counsel was unlawful.
Interestingly, Cannon was appointed a district judge by Trump in 2020. After the Republican leader won his second term in 2024, Smith dropped the charges against him.
Nevertheless, the first volume of Smith’s investigative report, which chronicled Trump’s alleged interference in the 2020 elections, was still released to the public in January 2025.
However, the second volume of the report, dealing with the mishandling of documents, might not see the light of day. Government lawyers have said in their filing, “Smith’s tenure was marked by illegality and impropriety, and under no circumstance should his work product be given the full weight and authority of this Department.”
The filing added that according to Bondi, “Volume II is an internal deliberative communication that is privileged and confidential, and should not be released outside the Department of Justice.”
While the Attorney General is busy protecting Trump, Smith has been asked to testify after the Office of Special Counsel opened an investigation into him, claiming that his 2022 probe into the President was ‘politically motivated.’
Trump is now calling on Pam Bondi to prosecute Jack Smith. pic.twitter.com/WZOPna7R1b
— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) January 22, 2026
On January 22, Smith testified to a congressional committee and reiterated that Trump played a key role in the 2021 US Capitol riots. The lawyer added he has no regrets for charging Trump, as no one should be above the law.
He stated, “If asked whether to prosecute a former president based on the same facts today, I would do so regardless of whether that president was a Republican or a Democrat. No one should be above the law in our country, and the law required that he be held to account. So that is what I did.”
Smith further revealed that he knows the Trump administration will continue to target him, especially the Department of Justice. He declared, “I believe they will do everything in their power to do that because they have been ordered to by the president,” and added that he will not be intimidated by the threats.
