Special counsel Jack Smith resigns from US Justice Department before Trump’s inauguration.
Special counsel Jack Smith has resigned from the US Justice Department. He was fighting two criminal cases against President-elect Donald Trump. Smith left the Justice Department before Trump took office later this month. A court filing on Saturday said Smith resigned from the Justice Department last Friday.
The BBC’s US partner CBS News reported in November that Smith could resign from the Justice Department after completing his work. His resignation comes amid ongoing controversy over the release of Smith’s investigative report into the Trump documents case.
Jack Smith was appointed as the US Justice Department’s special counsel in two cases against Trump in 2022. Trump was indicted on two counts on January 6, alleging that he incited a riot at the Capitol and removed classified government documents. In both cases, Trump was charged with criminal offenses. Trump has denied the charges, claiming the cases are politically motivated.
Two of the cases were dismissed after Trump was reelected last year. Prosecutors wrote that Justice Department rules prohibit prosecuting a sitting president. In November, CBS News reported that Smith could resign. He would have the opportunity to resign before Trump or his new administration’s attorney general could fire him.
Trump once said he would fire Smith “within two seconds” of taking office. Trump is finally returning to power. Smith has since announced her resignation. Meanwhile, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has not been invited to Trump’s upcoming inauguration on January 20.
Her spokeswoman Paula Pinho said that President von der Leyen and President Trump spoke by phone shortly after the US election. But there has been no further contact since.
During Trump’s first term, from 2017-21, he often criticized European leaders and demanded that they contribute more to their own defense.
Many believe that Trump was keen to withdraw the United States from NATO. He invited the Chinese president to Trump’s inauguration, but made no comment on the European Union officials.
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