Jack Smith, Former Trump Prosecutor, Departs Justice Department.
Jack Smith, the special counsel responsible for overseeing two federal cases against Donald Trump, has departed from the United States Department of Justice prior to the inauguration of the Republican president-elect on January 20 for a second term.
The two cases pertain to allegations of Trump's improper handling of classified documents following his exit from the White House, as well as attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 election. Trump faced indictments in both matters under Smith's supervision.
According to officials, "The Special Counsel completed his work and submitted his final confidential report on January 7, 2025, and separated from the Department on January 10," as noted in a document submitted to US District Judge Aileen Cannon, who was urged last week not to extend her order preventing the release of Smith’s final report. The mention of Smith was a minor detail in the filing to Cannon, who is currently deliberating on whether to continue the hold on the special counsel’s report regarding the two cases.
Having previously served as a war crimes prosecutor, Smith was appointed in November 2022—almost two years after the attack on the US Capitol—to lead the Justice Department’s dual investigations into Trump. He initiated two of the four criminal cases Trump faced after leaving office, but progress was stalled when a judge appointed by Trump in Florida dismissed one case, and the US Supreme Court ruled that former presidents enjoy broad immunity from prosecution for official actions. Neither case proceeded to trial. Following Trump’s victory over Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris in the November 5 election, Smith chose to withdraw both cases, citing a longstanding Justice Department policy against prosecuting sitting presidents. In seeking court dismissals, Smith’s team defended the validity of the charges, indicating that Trump’s imminent return to the presidency rendered the cases impractical. Smith’s exit marks another significant moment in the decline of the criminal cases against Trump, which may conclude without any legal repercussions for the incoming president, contributing to a backlash that has bolstered his political resurgence.
Trump, who has often referred to Smith as "deranged" and indicated that he would terminate him immediately upon assuming office, has hinted at the possibility of seeking retribution against Smith and others involved in the investigations against him upon his return to office.
