Special counsel Jack Smith, who led two federal criminal cases against Donald Trump, has resigned from the Justice Department ahead of the president-elect’s inauguration later this month.

Mr. Smith was “separated from the department” on Friday, according to court documents filed Saturday.

BBC US media partner CBS News November report Smith will resign from the Justice Department upon completion of his work.

Mr Smith’s departure comes amid controversy over the release of his report into the findings of the investigation into the classified Trump documents case.

Mr. Smith was appointed as special counsel in 2022 to oversee two Justice Department cases against Mr. Trump, one for allegedly improperly hoarding classified documents and the other for allegedly trying to interfere with the results of the 2020 election.

Both cases resulted in criminal charges against Trump, who has pleaded not guilty and has sought to cast the prosecution as politically motivated.

Mr. Smith’s case against the president-elect was settled last year after Trump won the presidential election. Prosecutors wrote that Justice Department regulations prohibit prosecuting a sitting president.

CBS reported in November that Mr. Smith’s resignation was expected because it would allow him to leave without being fired by Mr. Trump or the incoming president’s attorney general.

His withdrawal means his criminal prosecution of Trump left without going to trial.

Earlier this week, U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon was overseeing the classified documents case, which she controversially dismissed last July. Temporarily prohibited Mr. Smith and Attorney General Merrick Garland “published, shared or forwarded” reports about the case.

Trump’s legal team received a draft of the report over the weekend and is expected to release it as soon as Friday.

Judge Cannon’s move came after lawyers for Trump’s former co-defendants in the case, Walter Nota and Carlos de Olivier, called on her to intervene. Both men pleaded not guilty.

Judge Cannon ordered a stay of release until the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta considers an emergency appeal from Mr. Nota and Mr. de Olivier.

By law, the special counsel must submit findings to the Justice Department, headed by the attorney general. Garland promised to release all reports to the public, and has so far done so.

Mr. Trump’s lawyers argued that Mr. Smith did not have the legal authority to submit the classified document report because his selection for the job was unconstitutional and politically motivated.

Trump’s legal team also wrote to Garland asking him not to release the report and urging him to end the “weaponization of the justice system.”

Judge sentenced Trump to prison on Friday “Unconditional release” He was spared jail time and fines in a criminal case related to the hush money, but he will still take office as the first U.S. president to be convicted of a crime.