U.S. Special Counsel Jack Smith resigns after leading federal cases against Donald Trump, as the president-elect prepares to return to the White House, signalling a collapse of criminal cases.
U.S. Special Counsel Jack Smith, who led the federal cases against Donald Trump on charges of trying to overturn his 2020 election defeat and mishandling of classified documents, has resigned, as the Republican president-elect prepared to return to the White House.
Smith resigned on Friday from the Department of Justice, according to a court filing on Saturday to U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, asking her to lift a court order she issued blocking release of his final report.
Notice of Smith's resignation came in a footnote in the filing, which said the Special Counsel had completed his work, submitted his final confidential report on January 7, and "separated" from the Justice Department on January 10.
A former war crimes prosecutor, Smith brought two of the four criminal cases Trump faced after leaving office, but saw them grind to a halt after a Trump-appointed judge in Florida dismissed one and the U.S. Supreme Court -- with three justices appointed by Trump -- found that former presidents have sweeping immunity from prosecution for official acts. Neither case went to trial.
After Trump defeated Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris in the November 5 election, Smith dropped both cases, citing a longstanding Justice Department rule against prosecuting sitting presidents. In asking courts to dismiss the charges, Smith's team defended the merits of the cases they had brought, signaling only that Trump's impending return to the White House made them untenable.
Smith's departure is another marker of the collapse of the criminal cases against Trump, which could end without any legal consequences for the incoming president and sparked a backlash that helped fuel his political comeback
Smith's resignation from the Justice Department was expected. Trump, who has frequently called Smith "deranged", had said he would fire him immediately upon taking office on January 20, and has suggested that he may pursue retribution against Smith and others who investigated him once he returns to office.
Trump in 2023 became the first sitting or former U.S. president to face criminal prosecution, first in New York, where he was charged with trying to cover up a hush money payment to a porn star during his 2016 presidential campaign.
Smith's charges followed, accusing Trump of illegally retaining classified material after leaving office and of trying to overturn his 2020 loss, a campaign that sparked the January 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol. Prosecutors in Georgia also charged Trump over his efforts to overturn his election defeat in that state.
South Korea's former first lady Kim Keon Hee was sentenced to seven years in prison on Friday (26 June) after a court found her guilty of accepting lu...
The UN's International Maritime Organization has paused escort operations through the Strait of Hormuz after a cargo ship was reportedly attacked near...
Uzbekistan’s use of green energy sources has accounted for more than 45 per cent of its electricity generation as of on 24 June, marking a significa...
At least 235 people have been confirmed dead one day after two powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela. Hundreds of people are believed to be trapped un...
ANEWZ can exclusively report that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is expected to visit Azerbaijan on 1 July....
Russia has called for clarification on whether U.S. President Donald Trump has changed his position on the war in Ukraine following remarks made at the recent G7 summit in Evian-les-Bains.
As Western Europe battles a deadly heatwave that has shattered temperature records, disrupted transport and power supplies, and forced the closure of schools and cultural landmarks, attention is turning to whether El Niño is playing a role in the extreme conditions.
An earthquake of magnitude 6.9 struck Japan's northeast coast on Thursday, but no tsunami warning was issued, no injuries were immediately reported and no irregularities were found at nuclear facilities, the authorities said.
Israel's defence minister said on Wednesday Israeli troops will not withdraw from southern Lebanon, highlighting a hurdle to Iran-U.S. peace talks, as the top U.S. diplomat tours the Middle East to win over allies sceptical about a proposed deal.
The U.S. Senate rejected a resolution on Wednesday that would have directed President Donald Trump to remove U.S. forces from hostilities against Iran unless Congress formally authorised military action.
South Korea's former first lady Kim Keon Hee was sentenced to seven years in prison on Friday (26 June) after a court found her guilty of accepting luxury gifts in return for political favours.
At least 235 people have been confirmed dead one day after two powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela. Hundreds of people are believed to be trapped under rubble and tens of thousands are unaccounted for, as emergency crews and international rescue teams race to respond.
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for 26 June, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Power was fully or partly cut across the Russian-held part of Ukraine’s Kherson region early on Friday (26 June), according to the Moscow-installed governor Vladimir Saldo.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has warned Ukraine not to try to draw his country into the war, saying any such move would change the conflict "instantly".
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment