DOJ releases special counsel Jack Smith’s report on Trump’s election interference case

The Department of Justice released Volume I of Special Counsel Jack Smith’s final report on its now-closed investigations into President-elect Donald Trump, days before he was sworn into office.

Attorney General Merrick Garland released the first volume, which focuses on the election case against Trump, of Smith’s report at midnight Tuesday after going back and forth through the federal court system.

An opening letter from Smith to Garland said it is “ridiculous” that Trump believes the Biden administration, or other political actors, influenced or directed his decisions as a prosecutor, saying he was guided by the Principles of federal prosecutor’s office

“Trump’s cases represented those ‘in which the crime (was) the most egregious, the public harm the greatest, and the evidence the most certain,'” Smith said, referring to the principles.

FEDERAL JUDGE BLOCKS SPECIAL COUNSEL JACK SMITH FROM RELEASING FINAL REPORT

In the lengthy report, Smith said his office fully supports the decision to bring criminal charges against Trump because he “resorted to a series of criminal efforts to retain power” after losing power. the 2020 elections.

Smith said in his conclusion that the parties were determining whether any material in the “superseding indictment was subject to presidential immunity” when it became clear that Trump had won the 2024 election. At the time, the department determined that the case had to be dismissed before taking office because of how he interprets the Constitution.

“The Department’s view that the Constitution prohibits the continued impeachment and prosecution of a President is categorical and not based on the seriousness of the crimes charged, the strength of the Government’s proof, or the merits of the prosecution. , which the Office fully supports,” the report said.

In a Tuesday morning post on Truth Social, Trump called Smith “desperate” and “bewildered” for publishing his “false findings” in the middle of the night.

COURT OF APPEALS WILL NOT BLOCK PARTIAL RELEASE OF SPECIAL COUNSEL JACK SMITH’S TRUMP REPORT

Garland named ex Department of Justice official Jack Smith as special counsel in November 2022.

Smith, a former assistant U.S. attorney and head of the DOJ’s public integrity section, led the investigation into Trump’s withholding of classified documents after he left the White House and whether the former president obstructed the federal government investigation into the matter.

Smith was also tasked with overseeing the investigation into whether Trump or other officials and entities interfered with the peaceful transfer of power after the 2020 presidential election, including the certification of the Electoral College vote on January 6 2021

Smith accused Trump in both cases, but Trump pleaded not guilty.

FLASHBACK: ATTORNEY GENERAL GARLAND APPOINTS SPECIAL COUNCIL TO INVESTIGATE TRUMP OVER MAR-A-LAGO DOCUMENTS, JAN. 6

The classified records case was dismissed in July 2024 by U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, Judge Aileen Cannon, who ruled that Smith was illegally appointed as special counsel.

Smith sued Trump in the US District Court for Washington DC in his 2020 election case, but after Trump was elected president, Smith sought to dismiss the case. Judge Tanya Chutkan granted that request.

FLASHBACK: TRUMP SAYS ‘WON’T PARTICIPATE’ IN SPECIAL COUNSEL INVESTIGATION, dubs ‘WORST POLITICISM OF JUSTICE’

This month, however, Cannon temporarily blocked the release of Smith’s final report. A federal appeals court reversed its decision, allowing the Justice Department to release Smith’s report.

In the classified records Smith indicted Trump on 37 federal charges, including the willful withholding of national defense information, conspiracy to obstruct justice and making false statements. Trump pleaded not guilty.

FLASHBACK: The FBI said it had “probable cause” to believe additional classified documents remained at MAR-A-LAGO, according to the affidavit.

Trump was also charged with three additional counts as part of a superseding indictment of the investigation: one additional count of willful withholding of national defense information and two additional counts of obstruction.

In the case of the 2020 election, Smith accused Trump of conspiring to defraud the United States; conspiracy to obstruct official proceedings; violation of an official procedure; and conspiracy against rights. Trump pleaded not guilty.

The cases brought by Smith against Trump never went to trial in any jurisdiction.

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Despite efforts by Trump’s lawyers to prevent the release of the report, Attorney General Merrick Garland had maintained that he would make at least one volume of Smith’s report public.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.