Chicago January 12, 2025
Jack Smith, the special counsel appointed to investigate President-elect Donald Trump, resigned from the Justice Department on Friday, according to a court filing made public on Saturday.
Smith, who was appointed by Attorney General Merrick Garland in November 2022, had been leading two major investigations into Trump.
Smith had previously planned to leave before Trump officially took office on January 20, as Trump had expressed intentions to fire him. In a ruling on Thursday, the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals decided that a report from Smith on Trump’s alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election could be released.
This report would offer the most detailed description of the investigation that led to two federal indictments against Trump: one for allegedly trying to overturn the election and another for mishandling classified documents after leaving the White House.
However, these charges were later dropped due to a Justice Department policy that prevents the prosecution of a sitting president.
Trump reacted strongly to Smith’s report, calling it a “fake report” and claiming that Smith’s investigation was a “witch hunt.” Trump also criticized Judge Aileen Cannon’s ruling, which had temporarily blocked the release of Smith’s findings, arguing that Smith’s appointment was illegal.
