Special counsel seeks court order to ensure Trump and his defense don't share materials turned over in discovery

Special counsel Jack Smith's team is asking the judge in the classified documents case against Donald Trump to bar the former president and his defense team from publicly disclosing some of the materials shared in the criminal case as part of the discovery process.

In a new filing on Friday, Smith's team said that among the unclassified materials that prosecutors are set to turn over to the defense is "information pertaining to ongoing investigations, the disclosure of which could compromise those investigations and identify uncharged individuals."

The filing, which includes a proposed protective order, is an expected, procedural step now that Trump has entered his not guilty plea and the proceedings are moving forward. Lawyers for Trump and his co-defendant Walt Nauta do not oppose the requested protective order, according to the filing.

US District Judge Aileen Cannon, the Trump-appointed judge assigned to preside over the case, referred the matter to US Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart, citing local court rules. Reinhart approved the search warrant the FBI executed at Mar-a-Lago last year.

Smith's team said in the filing that the "government is ready to provide unclassified discovery to the defense."

"The discovery materials include sensitive and confidential information," including personal and financial data, information that reveals "sensitive" investigative techniques and information about potential witnesses, according to the filing. Some of that information could be in grand jury transcripts or recordings of witness interviews.

"The materials also include information pertaining to ongoing investigations, the disclosure of which could compromise those investigations and identify uncharged individuals," the filing said.