House Dems push Garland to drop charges, release second part of Jack Smith report

House Democrats ask Attorney General Merrick Garland to drop the charges against President-elect Trump's former co-defendants Walt Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira.

Trump drives a golf cart accompanied by aide Walt Nauta prior to the start of day three of the LIV Golf Invitational - Bedminster at Trump National Golf Club on Aug.13, 2023, in Bedminster, New Jersey. (Mike Stobe/Getty Images)

"The public interest, however, now demands that the President-elect must not escape accountability to the American people," they added. "Accordingly, to the extent the tangential charges against Mr. Nauta and Mr. De Oliveira stand in the way of the overriding imperative of transparency and truth, the interests of justice demand that their cases be dismissed now so that the entirety of Special Counsel Smith’s report can be released to the American people."

The letter was signed by House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Jamie Raskin of Maryland, as well as Democratic committee members Reps. Jerry Nadler and Dan Goldman of New York; Eric Swalwell, Ted Lieu, J. Luis Correa, Sydney Kamlager-Dove and Zoe Lofgren of California; Hank Johnson and Lucy McBath of Georgia; Steve Cohen of Tennessee, Pramila Jayapal of Washington; Mary Gay Scanlon of Pennsylvania; Joseph Neguse of Colorado; Deborah Ross of North Carolina; Becca Balint of Vermont; Jesus G. "Chuy" Garcia of Illinois; and Jasmine Crockett of Missouri. 

Carlos De Oliveira, property manager of Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate, arrives at the Alto Lee Adams Sr. U.S. Courthouse in Fort Pierce, Florida, on Aug. 10, 2023. (EVA MARIE UZCATEGUI/AFP via Getty Images)

Trump, Nauta and De Oliveira all pleaded not guilty to federal charges alleging they conspired to obstruct the FBI investigation into classified documents found at Mar-a-Lago

Smith was tapped by Garland in 2022 to investigate both the alleged effort by Trump and his allies to overturn the results of the 2020 election, as well as Trump's keeping of allegedly classified documents at his Florida residence. 

It is customary for a special counsel to release a final report when his or her work is done, detailing the findings of their investigation and explaining any prosecution or declination decisions they reached as a result of the probe. It's up to Garland whether to release it publicly. In Smith's case, the prosecution decision is immaterial, given Trump's status as president-elect and longstanding Justice Department policy against bringing criminal charges against a sitting president. 

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Garland is expected to give his farewell address to the Justice Department on Thursday afternoon.

Danielle Wallace is a breaking news and politics reporter at Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to danielle.wallace@fox.com and on X: @danimwallace

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