Smith, a former war crimes prosecutor, was appointed in November 2022, nearly two years after the attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Special counsel Jack Smith, who led two federal cases against Donald Trump, Republican President-elect He took office on January 20 and entered his second term.

The two cases involve Trump’s alleged mishandling of classified documents after leaving the White House and efforts to overturn his 2020 election defeat. Trump was indicted in both cases that Smith oversaw.

“The special counsel completed its work and submitted its final confidential report on January 7, 2025, and on January 10, Justice Department” and urged her last week not to extend her term. The order prevents the release of Smith’s final report.

The statement about Smith was a footnote in documents submitted to Cannon as he considered whether to keep the special counsel’s reports on the two cases.

Smith, a former war crimes prosecutor, was appointed in November 2022 – nearly two years after the war crimes case took place. Attack on the U.S. Capitol – is leading two ongoing Justice Department investigations into Trump.

He filed two of the four criminal cases Trump faced after leaving office, but a Florida judge appointed by Trump dismissed one of the cases and the U.S. Supreme Court found the former president had blanket immunity from prosecution for official actions After the rights were granted, these cases gradually stopped. Neither case went to trial.

After Trump defeated Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris in the Nov. 5 election, Smith dropped both cases, citing the Justice Department’s long-standing rule against prosecuting a sitting president. In asking the court to dismiss the charges, Smith’s team defended the merits of the case they brought, suggesting only that Trump’s impending return to the White House made them untenable.

Smith’s departure is another sign of the failure of criminal cases against Trump that could end without any legal consequences for the incoming president and spark a backlash that could help advance his politics Comeback.

Meanwhile, Trump, who has frequently called Smith “unhinged” and said he would fire him as soon as he takes office, has said he may retaliate against Smith and others who investigated him once he returns to office.