Jack Smith, who investigated Donald Trump on charges of interfering in the 2020 election and illegally keeping documents after he left the White House, has officially resigned as special counsel. presenting his final report In his probe of Attorney General Merrick Garland.
Smith resigned Friday, according to a court filing that noted his departure in a footnote.
His resignation was expected after Trump’s re-election in November, as both cases were against the president-elect. they were rejected This is due to a long-standing Justice Department policy that prohibits impeachment of the president.
Trump repeatedly vowed to fire Smith upon taking office and said Smith should be “kicked out of the country.”
Smith, who Garland tapped to direct both probes in November 2022, in June 2023 charged Trump with 37 charges related to his position. handling classified materialsthat prosecutors repeatedly refused to turn over hundreds of documents containing classified information ranging from US nuclear secrets to the nation’s defense capabilities and took steps to thwart the government’s efforts to turn over the documents.
In this Aug. 1, 2023, file photo, US Special Counsel Jack Smith speaks at a news conference in Washington, DC.
Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images, FILE
Two months later, Smith indicted Trump on charges of “criminal scheme.” reverse the results In an effort to subvert democracy in the 2020 elections and stay in power.
Trump, who has denied any wrongdoing, pleaded guilty to all charges in both cases and called the accusations a political hunt, before both cases were dismissed in November because of presidential immunity.
The release of Smith’s final report on both cases was a court battle last week
