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The Department of Justice has released the first volume of Special Counsel Jack Smith’s final report on the now-closed investigation into President-elect Donald Trump, days before his inauguration.
Attorney General Merrick Garland released the first volume of the Smith report, which focuses on the election case against Mr. Trump, late Tuesday night after an exchange in federal court.
Smith’s opening letter to Garland said it was “ridiculous” that Trump believed the Biden administration or other political actors influenced or directed his decisions as a prosecutor. “He said he was guided by federal prosecutorial principles.
“Mr. Trump’s case represented a case in which criminal conduct was committed.” [was] It is the most flagrant, the harm to the public is greatest, and the evidence is most certain,” Smith said, referring to the principles.
Federal judge blocks release of special counsel Jack Smith’s final report
Split image featuring U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, President Donald Trump, and Special Counsel Jack Smith (Ting Shen/Bloomberg via Getty Images | Photo by Rebecca Noble/Getty Images | Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
Smith said in a lengthy report that his office decided to file criminal charges against Trump because he “resorted to a series of criminal efforts to maintain power” after losing the 2020 election. He said he fully supports the.
Smith said in his conclusion that once it becomes clear that Trump has won the 2024 election, the parties will decide “whether the contents of the superseding indictment qualify for presidential immunity.” He said there was. The department later ruled that the case needed to be dismissed before he took office, citing constitutional interpretation.
“The Department’s position that the Constitution prohibits continued indictment and prosecution of the President is categorical and disregards the seriousness of the crimes charged, the strength of the government’s evidence, and the merits of the prosecution. “The Department fully supports this,” the report states.
In a post on Truth Social early Tuesday morning, President Trump criticized Smith, calling him “desperate” and “deranged” for releasing “fake findings” overnight.
Appeals court won’t block release of parts of special counsel Jack Smith’s Trump report
Garland appointed former Justice Department official Jack Smith as special prosecutor in November 2022.
Smith, a former assistant U.S. attorney and chief of the Justice Department’s Public Integrity Division, will discuss Trump’s retention of classified documents after he left the White House and whether the former president obstructed federal investigations into the matter. led the investigation.
Attorney General Merrick Garland speaks during a press conference at the Department of Justice on Tuesday, September 24, 2024 in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
Mr. Smith will also oversee an investigation into whether President Trump and other officials and entities obstructed the peaceful transfer of power after the 2020 presidential election, including the certification of the electoral votes on January 6, 2021. He also had a mission.
Smith indicted Trump in both cases, but Trump has maintained his innocence.
Flashback: Attorney General Garland appoints special counsel to investigate President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago documents (January) 6
The confidential records lawsuit was dismissed in July 2024 by Judge Eileen Cannon of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, who ruled that Smith was illegally appointed as special prosecutor.
Special Counsel Jack Smith recently asked that charges against President Trump alleging interference in the certification of the 2020 election be dropped. (Bill O’Leary/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
Mr. Smith filed a 2020 election lawsuit against Mr. Trump in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., but after Mr. Trump was elected president, Mr. Smith sought to have the case dismissed. Judge Tanya Chutkan granted the request.
Flashback: President Trump says he will “not participate” in special counsel’s investigation, calling it “the worst kind of politicization of the judiciary”
But this month, Cannon temporarily blocked the release of Smith’s final report. A federal appeals court reversed her decision and allowed the Justice Department to release Smith’s report.
Former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida. (Charles Traynor Jr./Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
In the classified records investigation, Smith indicted Trump on 37 federal charges, including knowingly retaining national defense information, conspiracy to obstruct justice, and making false statements. Mr. Trump has maintained his innocence.
The image, included in a court filing by the Department of Justice on August 30, 2022, and partially redacted by the source, depicts former President Donald Trump’s photo on August 8. It shows photos of documents seized during the FBI search of the A Lago residence. . (Department of Justice, via AP)
Flashback: FBI says it has ‘reasonable cause’ to believe additional classified documents remain at Mar-a-Lago, affidavit says
Trump was also indicted on an additional count of intentional retention of national defense information and two additional counts of obstruction as part of an expedited indictment.
In the 2020 election case, Smith charged Trump with conspiracy to defraud the United States. Conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding. Violation of official procedures. and conspiracy against rights. Mr. Trump has maintained his innocence.
The lawsuit filed by Mr. Smith against Mr. Trump did not go to trial in either jurisdiction.
Former President Donald Trump walks to address reporters at the end of the day of his trial on charges of concealing hush money payments at Manhattan Criminal Court in New York City, May 7, 2024. (Getty Images)
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Despite efforts by Trump’s lawyers to block the report’s release, Attorney General Merrick Garland continued to insist that at least one copy of the Smith report be released.
This is a developing story. Please check back for the latest information.
Brooke Singman is a political correspondent and reporter for Fox News Digital, Fox News Channel and FOX Business.
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