House Dems want Garland to drop charges against Trump’s former co-defendants

House Judiciary Democrats sent a letter to outgoing U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, urging him to drop charges against President-elect Donald Trump’s former co-defendants in the classified documents case. The Democrats specifically want charges dropped against Trump’s valet Walt Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira, the property manager of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida. They believe that dropping the charges will pave the way for the release of the second volume of Special Counsel Jack Smith’s report, which is related to the classified documents case.

Smith, who resigned from the Justice Department, stated that he would not release the second volume as long as both men still faced prosecution. The Democrats fear that Trump will pardon both men, leading to further delays in the release of the report. They argue that the public interest demands accountability for the President-elect and that transparency and truth should prevail.

The letter, signed by several Democratic committee members, acknowledges the criminal behavior of Nauta and De Oliveira but emphasizes that Trump was the mastermind behind the deception operation. They highlight that Trump managed to evade criminal accountability due to DOJ policy prohibiting the indictment or prosecution of a sitting president. The letter calls for the dismissal of charges against Nauta and De Oliveira to ensure that the American people learn the details of Trump’s abuse of national security information.

Judge Aileen Cannon is set to hear arguments over Volume 2 in Fort Pierce, Florida. Garland has already released Volume 1, focused on the election interference case. Attorneys for Nauta and De Oliveira have requested that the special counsel report be kept out of the public eye.

Trump, Nauta, and De Oliveira have all pleaded not guilty to federal charges related to obstructing the FBI investigation into classified documents found at Mar-a-Lago. Smith’s investigation also looked into efforts by Trump and his allies to overturn the 2020 election results. It is customary for a special counsel to release a final report detailing their findings, but Garland will ultimately decide whether to release it publicly.

Garland is expected to give his farewell address to the Justice Department soon. The Democrats’ letter underscores the importance of holding Trump and his associates accountable and ensuring transparency in the release of the Special Counsel’s report.