US Attorney General Merrick Garland has appointed a counsel to oversee the Justice Department’s investigation into classified documents found at Donald Trump’s residence in Mar-a-Lago, Florida, as well as central aspects of an investigation. separate case involving the events of January 6, 2021 at the Capitol and efforts to delegitimize the 2020 presidential election.
The appointment of prosecutor Jack Smith, announced just three days after Trump formally launched his candidacy for the 2024 presidential election, is an acknowledgment of the political implications of two investigations involving not only a former president, but also a presidential hopeful. the White House.
“The Department of Justice has long recognized that in certain extraordinary cases it is in the public interest to appoint special counsel to independently manage an investigation and prosecution,” Garland said.
Smith, who headed the Justice Department’s public integrity section in Washington and later served as acting chief US attorney in Nashville, Tennessee, during the Obama administration, is ready to start his job immediately, Garland said. He has served since 2018 as the chief prosecutor of the special tribunal in The Hague tasked with investigating international war crimes.
The Justice Department described him as an independent figure in an effort to mitigate any attacks of political bias.
“Throughout his career, Jack Smith has built a reputation as an impartial and determined prosecutor who leads energetic teams to follow the facts wherever they lead. As special counsel, he will exercise independent judgment in deciding whether to bring charges. “The extraordinary circumstances here demand it,” Garland said.
In a statement released by the Justice Department, Smith said he intended to do his job independently and that the move was in the best traditions of the Department. “The pace of investigations will not stop or slow under my watch,” he promised.
A Trump spokesman called the appointment “a totally unstoppable political stunt and by an irresponsible, politicized and armed Department of Justice.”
Associated Press/OnCuba.
