Democratic senators on the upper chamber’s Judiciary Committee on Monday asked Attorney General Merrick Garland to ensure the preservation all existing and future records and materials related to the Justice Department’s prosecutions of President-elect Donald Trump as he prepares to return to the White House later this month.
“As President-elect Trump has repeatedly made clear, he intends to swiftly shut down any investigations related to his alleged misconduct and involvement in 2020 election subversion efforts and his mishandling of classified documents,” the senators wrote to Garland.
The letter signed by 10 Democratic senators cites Trump’s threats against special counsel Jack Smith, who recently resigned from his role, as well as pledges made by Pam Bondi, Trump’s pick to lead the DOJ, to take action against those who were involved in Trump’s prosecutions.
“In light of these threats, it is critical that the Department take immediate preservation steps related to these investigations and prosecutions,” the senators wrote.
The letter was sent to Garland a week before Trump is set to take office and hours ahead of the release of the first volume of Smith’s report early Tuesday, explaining his findings in his investigation into Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election result.
Smith defended his office’s work and wrote that he believed his team has garnered enough evidence to obtain and secure a conviction of Trump if he were to stand trial.
The second volume of the report pertaining to Trump’s prosecution over his alleged mishandling of classified documents has yet to be published after Garland agreed to keep it private for now, because the case is still active against two of Trump’s co-defendants in the case. Judge Aileen Cannon, who oversaw that case, has set a Friday hearing on that part of the report.
The senators noted they reserve their right to request production of Smith’s report and relevant records in the future.
Trump, who has long contested the publication of the document compiled by Smith, attacked the former special counsel on his Truth Social account overnight.
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“Jack is a lamebrain prosecutor who was unable to get his case tried before the Election, which I won in a landslide,” he wrote. “THE VOTERS HAVE SPOKEN!!!”
Smith, who moved to dismiss both of his cases against Trump following Trump’s November victory, resigned as special counsel on Friday, the DOJ said, getting ahead of the president-elect’s pledge to fire him.