Special Counsel Jack Smith delivers remarks on a recently unsealed indictment including four felony counts against former U.S. President Donald Trump on August 1, 2023 in Washington, DC.
Drew Angerer | Getty Images
Special Counsel Jack Smith resigned from the Department of Justice on Friday after he completed his two criminal investigations of President-elect Donald Trump.
The departure was disclosed in a court filing submitted Saturday to Trump-appointed U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon of Florida. “The Special Counsel completed his work and submitted his final confidential report on January 7, 2025, and separated from the Department on January 10,” the filing reads.
In the filing, DOJ officials urged Cannon not to extend her order issued last week that is currently blocking the DOJ from releasing Smith’s investigation into Trump’s interference in the 2020 election results.
The DOJ had filed an emergency motion late Friday asking a federal appeals court to reverse the order, pushing for a swift release of Smith’s investigative report.
Cannon, who was nominated by Trump to the bench, temporarily blocked the DOJ from releasing Smith’s final report until three days after the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals rules on the issue. Cannon had previously dismissed the Mar-a-Lago documents case against Trump after ruling that Smith’s appointment as special counsel was unconstitutional.