Jack Smith, the special counsel who Donald Trump promised to fire “within two seconds” of taking office
Smith is an American attorney who was appointed as special counsel by Attorney General Merrick Garland to deal with the cases against former president Donald Trump.
Following Donald Trump’s victory in the 2024 presidential election, the fate of special counsel Jack Smith’s federal cases against him has been thrown into uncertainty
The Justice Department has a long-standing policy that prevents the prosecution of sitting presidents, which now applies to President-elect Trump. This policy effectively puts the federal cases in limbo, as Trump cannot be prosecuted while in office.
Smith is reportedly taking steps to wind down both federal cases against Trump before his inauguration
Who is Jack Smith?
Smith gained experience in prosecuting a number of extremely high profile cases in the United States over a decades-long career. He has served as chief of public integrity for the Justice Department, bringing cases against both Republicans and Democrats in that role.
He is a registered independent with no ties to either party so he can bring a non-partisan viewpoint to the investigations.
His career as a prosecutor begin in New York in the 1990s while serving in the office of the Manhattan district attorney. He worked his way up to become a federal prosecutor in Brooklyn, focusing on cases of public corruption.
He prosecuted instances of civil right violations and brought charges against gang members for the murder of several police officers in the city. He has also prosecuted a sitting US Senator, Democrat Sen. John Edwards.
Since 2018 Smith has been chief prosecutor at the international criminal court in The Hague. He has looked into allegations that war crimes were perpetrated in the Balkans, amongst other high-profile cases.