A day after filing a sealed brief seeking to justify his superseding indictment against Donald Trump, special counsel Jack Smith is pushing to file a public version of the brief that includes "substantive" summaries of what investigators learned from witnesses in the former president's federal election interference case.In his lengthy brief filed under seal on Thursday, Smith presented his case for how the Supreme Court's ruling on presidential immunity does not apply to Trump's criminal case, in which the former president is accused of seeking to overturn the results of the 2020 election.In their filing Friday, prosecutors argued that releasing a version of the brief that removes the names of witnesses other than Vice President Mike Pence -- and also redacts nonpublic information sources -- would respect the court's orders and serve the public's interest in the case.MORE: Special counsel files sealed court brief supporting his Jan.6 case against Trump"Rather, the public's interest is fully vindicated by accessing the substantive material in the Government's filing," the filing said.
"For example, the unredacted substance of what a witness said is more important, for purposes of public access, than the redacted identity of the specific person who said it."If permitted by U.S.District Judge Tanya Chutkan, the public filing could shed new light on the government's sweeping case against Trump by making public the summaries of information obtained from witness interviews, grand jury testimony, and search warrants.Judge Chutkan ordered Trump's lawyers to file their objections to the proposed redactions on Tuesday.A response from the prosecutors is due on Oct 10, meaning the material could possibly become public in mid-October.In this July 31, 2024, file photo, Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump waits on stage to speak at a campaign rally, in Harrisburg, Pa.Alex Brandon/AP, FILETrump last year pleaded not guilty to charges of undertaking a "...