WEB DESK
The US Justice Department has named Jack Smith, a war crimes prosecutor, to serve as special counsel to oversee Justice Department investigations related to Donald Trump. The investigation would focus on the former president’s efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election and the January 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol by his supporters. It will also include investigation into a cache of classified government documents seized in an FBI raid on Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida in August.
Attorney General Merrick Garland said naming a special counsel was in the public interest because both the Republican Trump and his Democratic successor Biden have stated their intention to run in 2024. He further said such an appointment underscores the department’s commitment to both independence and accountability in particularly sensitive matters. In a statement, Jack Smith said he would conduct his investigation independently and in the best traditions of the Department of Justice.