US Special Counsel Jack Smith has resigned from the Justice Department, ending his role in prosecuting former President Donald Trump on federal charges related to his 2020 election defeat and mishandling of classified documents.
Smith, a former war crimes prosecutor, notified US District Judge Aileen Cannon of his resignation in a court filing on Saturday. The notice revealed that he completed his work on January 7 and officially left the department on January 10.
Smith brought two of the four criminal cases Trump faced after leaving office, but his efforts faltered. A Trump-appointed Florida judge dismissed one case, while the US Supreme Court ruled that former presidents have immunity from prosecution for official acts. Neither case proceeded to trial.
Following Trump’s victory over Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 election, Smith dropped both cases, citing a Justice Department rule against prosecuting sitting presidents. In court filings, his team defended the cases’ merits but acknowledged Trump’s return to the White House rendered them untenable.
Smith’s resignation marks a significant moment in the collapse of legal efforts against Trump, whose campaign leveraged the prosecutions to build a narrative of political persecution. Trump, who repeatedly called Smith “deranged,” had vowed to dismiss him upon taking office on January 20.
Trump, the first US president to face criminal charges, was also prosecuted in New York over a hush money payment during his 2016 campaign. Georgia prosecutors charged him for efforts to overturn his election loss in the state. Smith’s charges accused Trump of retaining classified documents and attempting to overturn the 2020 election, which led to the January 6 Capitol attack.
Trump denied wrongdoing, claiming political motivations behind the cases, which became rallying points for his campaign. Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed Smith in November 2022 to lead the investigations, emphasising the need for independence in politically sensitive cases.
Before joining the Justice Department, Smith prosecuted war crimes in The Hague, including the conviction of Salih Mustafa, a former Kosovo Liberation Army commander. His exit comes amid a shift in US legal and political landscapes as Trump prepares to take office once again.
