Judge clears Trump election meddling report

President-elect Donald Trump would have been convicted of illegally trying to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election had he not been elected, according to a Justice Department report released to Congress.

“There was sufficient admissible evidence to obtain and support a conviction at trial,” Special Prosecutor Jack Smith’s report said.

The 137-page document was sent to Congress after Judge Eileen Cannon allowed the release of the first of two parts of Smith’s report — the election meddling case.

She ordered a hearing later this week on whether to release part of the report on allegations that Trump illegally kept classified government documents.

The president-elect takes office on January 20.

Special prosecutor Jack Smith resigned last week.

In 2022, Smith was appointed to oversee the Trump investigation by the US Department of Justice. Special advocates are selected by the department in cases of potential conflicts of interest.

Trump has been accused of illegally storing documents and, in some cases, storing them in rooms at the Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, his residence, which he owns. In the case of interference, he was accused of conspiring to overturn the results of the 2020 elections.

Both cases resulted in criminal charges against Trump, who has pleaded not guilty and tried to have the prosecutions politically motivated.

But Smith closed the cases after Trump’s election in November, under Justice Department rules barring prosecution of a sitting president.

Indeed, in the published report, Smith says, “The (Justice) Department’s view that the Constitution bars the continued impeachment and prosecution of the President is categorical and does not include the gravity of the crimes charged, the strength of the government’s evidence, or the merits of the prosecution, for which the department fully supports.”

Since then, the materials related to the cases have been litigated.

Last week, Judge Cannon temporarily halted the release of Smith’s entire report over concerns that it could affect the cases of two Trump associates who are charged with him in the classified documents case.

Walt Nauta, Trump’s personal assistant, and Carlos de Oliveira, the manager of the Mar-a-Lago property, are accused of helping Trump hide the documents.

Unlike Trump, their cases are still pending — and their attorneys argue that the release of Smith’s report could prejudice a future jury and court.