Special Counsel Jack Smith resigned from his position at the Department of Justice on Friday, Fox News has learned.
The resignation, which had already been expected since President-elect Trump was elected in November, was quietly announced in a footnote to the court filing on Saturday.
“The Special Counsel completed his work and submitted his final confidential report on January 7, 2025, and separated from the administration on January 10,” the memo said.
Smith was appointed by the District Attorney Merrick Garland In November 2022 to investigate the 2020 election interference case against Trump regarding January 6, in addition to the Mar-a-Lago resort. Secret documents issue. In 2017, Smith served as Acting U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee, during the first Trump administration.
In November, special prosecutor Jack Smith asked to dismiss charges against Trump in a case alleging his interference in certifying the 2020 election. (Bill O'Leary/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
This news came as the country awaits the release of the Smith report on the issue of election interference. A recent court filing showed that Garland plans to release the investigation report soon, possibly before Trump takes office on January 20.
A federal appeals court judge ruled Friday not to do so Prevent release From Smith's report.
“As I have made clear with respect to every special counsel who has served since I took office, I am committed to publishing as much of the special counsel’s report as possible, consistent with legal requirements and Department policy,” Garland wrote in a recent letter to the Post. House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan, Republican of Ohio, and Ranking Member Jamie Raskin, Democrat of Maryland.
Trump is pressing the GOP to quickly send a “strong bill” to his signature as quickly as possible
Jack Smith speaks during a press conference in Washington, D.C. in 2023. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Once Trump wins the 2024 presidential election, Smith proposed ending his cases against the president-elect. At the end of November, Smith asked the judge to dismiss the charges against him President-elect Donald Trump In the capital case filed against him.
Before asking to dismiss the case, Smith filed a motion to Clear all deadlines In the 2020 election interference case against Trump in Washington, D.C. – a decision that was widely expected after Trump's victory. After the cases were dropped, Trump responded to the move by saying that the investigations “should never have been opened.”
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The special counsel's resignation comes as his report is scheduled to be released before President-elect Trump takes office on January 20. (Chip Somodevila/Getty Images)
“These cases, like all the others I have had to consider, are empty, illegal, and should never have been filed,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social. “It was a political hijack, and a low point in our country's history that such a thing could happen, and yet, against all odds, I persevered and prevailed. Make America Great Again!”
Brooke Singman and Chris Pandolfo of Fox News Digital contributed to this report.
