Headline: Landmark Investigations into Trump Conclude as Special Counsel Jack Smith Resigns Podcast By cover art

Headline: Landmark Investigations into Trump Conclude as Special Counsel Jack Smith Resigns

Headline: Landmark Investigations into Trump Conclude as Special Counsel Jack Smith Resigns

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 Recent developments in the ongoing legal saga involving former President Donald Trump and Special Counsel Jack Smith have focused on the conclusion and release of Smith’s investigations. Jack Smith, who led two major federal probes into Trump—one related to alleged election interference in the 2020 presidential vote and the other regarding mishandling of classified documents—resigned from his position at the Department of Justice (DOJ) in early January 2025 after submitting two final reports to Attorney General Merrick Garland.

The election interference investigation culminated in a report released by the DOJ on January 14, 2025, which alleged that Trump engaged in an unprecedented criminal effort to overturn the 2020 election results. Smith’s team claimed to have amassed sufficient evidence to convict Trump of multiple felonies had Trump not won the 2024 election and returned to the White House, thus leading to the winding down of criminal cases against him before trials could proceed. This report detailed how Trump propagated false claims about voter fraud despite being informed by high-ranking officials in his own administration, including the Vice President, that there was no evidence to support such claims.

However, the classified documents case report was divided into two parts—one addressing Trump directly and another involving his former co-defendants Walt Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira. Because the two co-defendants’ prosecutions are still ongoing, the DOJ has withheld that part of the report from public release. A federal judge cleared the Justice Department to publicly release segments of Smith’s report relating to election interference but has reserved ruling on whether the classified documents portion can be shared with congressional leaders, scheduling hearings for further decisions.

Meanwhile, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has taken legal action seeking to prevent the DOJ from destroying records related to Smith’s investigation, calling it a politically motivated prosecution. He filed a freedom of information request and sought court intervention to preserve documents that he claims are vital to public interest and transparency.

Jack Smith’s departure marks the end of a notable but frustrating chapter in prosecuting Trump, with Smith emphasizing the importance of distinguishing between protected political speech and illegal conduct. Despite these investigations, the former president remains a central figure in American political and legal discourse as the nation continues to grapple with the implications of these high-profile cases.
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