Jack Smith, the special counsel who led the prosecution against U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, has resigned and left the country ahead of Trump’s inauguration on January 20.
Officials stated in a document submitted to U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon that Smith had completed his duties and submitted his final confidential report on January 7. He officially took leave from the U.S. Department of Justice on January 10.
Smith oversaw investigations into Trump’s alleged mishandling of classified documents after leaving office and his attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 election.
Appointed in November 2022, Smith, a former war crimes prosecutor, was tasked with leading the Justice Department’s investigations into these matters. However, with Trump’s victory in the November 5 election, Smith dismissed the cases, citing a Justice Department rule that prohibits prosecuting sitting presidents.
While his legal team requested the courts drop the charges, they acknowledged the legitimacy of the cases but noted that they could not pursue them given Trump’s imminent return to the presidency.
This development signals the collapse of the charges against Trump, clearing the way for him to assume office without facing legal consequences. Trump had previously threatened to fire Smith upon taking office for his second term.
