WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. judge has temporarily blocked Special Counsel Jack Smith from releasing a report until an appeals court acts on a request from Donald Trump's co-defendants in the criminal case accusing the president-elect of illegally handling classified documents, a court order showed on Tuesday.

The revelation was made in a filing Wednesday to a federal appeals court that was considering a defense request to block the release of the two-volume report while charges remain pending against two Trump co-defendants in a Florida case.

Judge Cannon previously ruled that the special counsel was unlawfully appointed, a stunning reversal for the prosecutor and Attorney General Garland.