Federal judge blocks release of Jack Smith report's second volume

House hearing probes Jack Smith’s subpoenas against GOP lawmakers

Fox News chief congressional correspondent Chad Pergram reports on a House hearing into former Special Counsel Jack Smith allegedly targeting Republican phone records during his investigation into the 2020 election.

A federal judge on Monday agreed to permanently block the release of Volume 2 of former special counsel Jack Smith's report, centered on President Donald Trump's handling of classified materials after his first term in office — in a significant victory for the president and his co-defendants.

The ruling, issued Monday by U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, blocks the Justice Department from "releasing, distributing, conveying, or sharing with anyone outside the Department of Justice any information or conclusions in Volume II or in drafts thereof." 

Cannon previously ruled that Smith was unconstitutionally appointed as special counsel, though the matter was ultimately dismissed following Trump's reelection in 2024.

 Former Special Counsel Jack Smith says the Pledge of Allegiance before he prepares to testify during a hearing before the House Judiciary Committee in the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill on January 22, 2026 in Washington, DC.  (Al Drago/Getty Images)

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Breanne Deppisch is a national politics reporter for Fox News Digital covering the Trump administration, with a focus on the Justice Department, FBI and other national news. She previously covered national politics at the Washington Examiner and The Washington Post, with additional bylines in Politico Magazine, the Colorado Gazette and others. You can send tips to Breanne at [email protected], or follow her on X at @breanne_dep.