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Raskin Presses DOJ to Release Jack Smith’s Trump Classified‑Documents Report

In a March 29 interview on MS NOW, Rep. Jamie Raskin, the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, sharply criticized the Justice Department for keeping former special counsel Jack Smith’s second report on Donald Trump’s post‑presidency classified documents secret under an order from U.S. District Judge Eileen Cannon. Raskin said every other modern special‑counsel report has been released and argued that a Smith memo his committee obtained indicates Trump possessed classified material "pertinent to his business interests," raising unresolved questions about motive. He stressed that any specific business motive remains speculative because the memo is high‑level and noted that Smith ultimately concluded prosecutors could not prove a financial motive beyond Trump feeling "entitled" to keep the records because they were "cool" to have. Raskin tied the issue to broader concerns about Jared Kushner’s multibillion‑dollar Saudi funding and said releasing Volume Two of Smith’s report is necessary to assess potential conflicts of interest and national‑security risks. The White House did not immediately comment, while Judiciary Democrats are amplifying the memo online as "damning" evidence and using it to renew pressure for full disclosure.

Donald Trump Classified Documents Case Department of Justice and Congress Oversight

📌 Key Facts

  • On March 29, 2026, Rep. Jamie Raskin used an MS NOW interview to attack DOJ for not releasing Jack Smith’s Volume Two report on Trump’s classified documents, citing a secrecy order by Judge Eileen Cannon.
  • A Smith investigation memo obtained by House Judiciary Democrats says Trump "possessed classified documents pertinent to his business interests," though prosecutors concluded they could not prove a specific financial motive.
  • Raskin said speculation about motives ranges from cryptocurrency to Saudi ties but called that "guesswork," and linked the issue to congressional inquiries into Jared Kushner’s $2.5 billion Saudi sovereign‑fund investment.
  • The hidden documents were discovered during the August 2022 FBI search of Mar‑a‑Lago, and Trump’s and his lawyers’ reasons for defying a May 2022 DOJ subpoena for their return remain unknown.
  • Raskin argues that releasing Smith’s still‑sealed report would clarify Trump’s motives and potential conflicts, framing the secrecy as an outlier compared with prior special‑counsel reports dating back to Ken Starr.

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