Knight Institute and American Oversight ask appeals court to release special counsel report on Trump’s classified‑documents case

🔍 Key Facts

On Sep. 30, 2025, American Oversight joined the Knight First Amendment Institute in filing separate petitions to the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to compel release of Special Counsel Jack Smith’s report on the Trump classified-documents case.
The filings ask the appeals court to unseal and release the Special Counsel’s report concerning the prosecution of former President Donald Trump over classified documents.
Knight Institute executive director Jameel Jaffer and American Oversight executive director Chioma Chukwu issued statements demanding the report’s release and called the judge’s delay in making it public “manifestly unreasonable.”
As background, Judge Aileen Cannon blocked the Department of Justice in January from handing the volume related to the classified-documents case over to Congress.
The Department of Justice later abandoned related prosecutions of co-defendants Walt Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira.

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On X, users highlight the irony of the Knight Institute's involvement, noting their past successful lawsuits against Trump for blocking critics on Twitter, which underscores a consistent push for government transparency and First Amendment rights not emphasized in mainstream reports.
Social media discussions often point out Judge Cannon's history of rulings favorable to Trump, such as denying DOJ motions on classified materials, suggesting perceived bias that mainstream coverage tends to downplay in favor of procedural details.
X posts frequently express frustration over the DOJ's decision to drop prosecutions against Trump's co-defendants after his 2024 election win, framing it as a potential miscarriage of justice that adds political context missing from neutral mainstream narratives.
Many on X connect this case to broader concerns about national security, speculating that the report could reveal details on how Trump's actions risked sensitive information, a perspective that provides deeper context on public safety implications not covered in depth by mainstream sources.
Users on X emphasize the public right to know the contents of special counsel reports, comparing it to the releases of the Mueller and Hur reports, arguing for consistency in transparency that mainstream articles often overlook in their focus on legal filings.

Based on 2 sources

PBS News by Alanna Durkin Richer, Associated Press September 30, 2025

New information:

American Oversight joined the Knight First Amendment Institute in filing to compel release of Special Counsel Jack Smith’s report, with separate filings to the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reported Sep. 30, 2025.
Direct quotes from American Oversight executive director Chioma Chukwu and Knight Institute executive director Jameel Jaffer demanding release and calling the judge's delay 'manifestly unreasonable.'
The article notes Judge Aileen Cannon had blocked DOJ in January from handing the volume related to the classified documents case to Congress and that DOJ later abandoned related prosecutions of co-defendants Walt Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira.

Nytimes by Charlie Savage September 30, 2025