Judge Cannon blocks the release of Jack Smith’s report on Trump.

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Tuesday, January 7
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North Carolina Supreme Court Republicans halt certification of race
* Today, the Supreme Court of North Carolina blocked ([link removed]) the certification of a race for a seat on its own court and will hear a case challenging the State Board of Elections’ decision to reject the losing GOP candidate's challenges to over 60,000 ballots.
* “The crisis of democracy didn’t end with [President-elect Donald] Trump’s victory—it got worse,” Ben Wikler, candidate for chair of the Democratic National Committee, said on X. “When North Carolina’s state Supreme Court is blocking certification of a state Supreme Court election, the house is on fire.”
* Watch Marc’s interview with Wikler about his bid to lead the Democratic Party here ([link removed]) .

Speaking of DNC chair candidate interviews…
* In the second interview ([link removed]) in our DNC candidate chair series, Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party Chair Ken Martin joined Marc to discuss how he would "reimagine" the DNC, specifically by “getting the DNC out of D.C.”

Judge Cannon blocks release of Jack Smith’s report on Trump
* Trump-appointed Judge Aileen Cannon blocked ([link removed]) the release of special counsel Jack Smith's final report on the investigations into Trump's Florida documents and Washington, D.C. election subversion ([link removed]) cases until the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rules on a similar request.
* Smith filed ([link removed]) a motion at the end of November to dismiss the election subversion case without prejudice — meaning it can be refiled in the future — in light of Trump’s reelection. The court granted the motion the same day, ending the case.
* In a press conference today, Trump commented ([link removed]) on the cases the DOJ brought against him, arguing that “it was all to influence the election,” and “a fight against their political opponent.”

Courts are the last guardrail
* In the incoming Trump administration, anti-democratic actors will wield huge power in the executive and legislative branches. However, in a new op-ed, Marc argued ([link removed]) the judiciary remains a strong safeguard and guardrail for democracy.

Want to check out more pro-democracy op-eds?
* From politicians to activists to lawyers, our guest authors brought unique perspectives to the biggest debates surrounding democracy. Read here ([link removed]) to find all of the opinion pieces from the diverse voices Democracy Docket featured in 2024.

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