The Ministry of Justice published Volume I of Special advisor Jack Smith's final report on his now-closed investigation into President-elect Donald Trump, days before his inauguration.
Attorney General Merrick Garland released the first volume, which focuses on the election case against Trump, which Smith of report at midnight Tuesday after withdrawing from the federal court system.
An opening letter from Smith to Garland said it was “ridiculous” that Trump believed the Biden Administration, or other political actors, influenced or guided his decisions as a prosecutor, saying he guided by the Principles of Performance.
“Trump's cases represented 'those in which the crime (was) most flagrant, the most public harm, and the most compelling evidence,'” Smith said, referring to the laws- the foundation.
FEDERAL JUDGE BLOCKS SPECIAL COUNSEL JACK SMITH FROM FINAL REPORT.
A separate photo with US 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)
In a lengthy statement, Smith said his office fully stands behind the decision to impeach Trump for “criminal intent to retain power” after he lost the 2020 election.
Smith said in his conclusion that the parties are still determining whether there is more information “in the strong case under the protection of the president” when it is clear that Trump won the election of 2024. Then the Department ruled that the case must be dismissed before he takes office because of how it interprets the Constitution.
The Department's opinion that the Constitution prohibits further impeachment and impeachment of the President and does not change the gravity of the crimes charged, the strength of the Government's evidence, or the merits of the prosecution, which the Office of fully supportive. ,” the report said.
Garland appointed former Justice Department official Jack Smith as special counsel in November 2022.
Smith, a former assistant US attorney and head of the DOJ's public integrity division, led the investigation into Trump's retention of classified documents after leaving the White House and whether the former president interfered federal government investigation into the matter.
Attorney General Merrick Garland speaks during a news conference at the Department of Justice, Tuesday, September 24, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schifelbein)
Smith has also been tasked with overseeing an investigation into whether Trump or other officials and agencies interfered with the peaceful transfer of power after the 2020 presidential election, including the confirmation of Electoral College votes on the 6th January 2021.
Smith sued Trump in both cases, but Trump did not.
The special records case was dismissed in July 2024 by US District Court for the Southern District of Florida Judge Aileen Cannon, who ruled that Smith was illegally appointed as special counsel.
Special Prosecutor Jack Smith recently asked to drop the charges he brought against Trump in the case alleging interference with the 2020 election certification. (Bill O'Leary/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
Smith sued Trump in the US District Court for Washington DC in his 2020 election case, but after Trump was elected president, Smith sought to dismiss the case. Judge Tanya Chutkan accepted the request.
This month, however, Cannon temporarily blocked the release of Smith's final report. A federal appeals court reversed his decision, allowing the Justice Department to release Smith's report.
Former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida. (Charles Trainor Jr./Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
To organized records In the investigation, Smith indicted Trump on 37 federal charges including knowingly withholding national security information, conspiracy to obstruct justice and making false statements. Trump did not press charges.
This photo provided by the Department of Justice on Aug. 30. 2022, and partially modified by the source, shows a photo of the documents taken during the investigation of Aug. 8 FBI of President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate. . (Department of Justice via AP)
Trump has also been indicted on three other charges as part of an indictment raised in the investigation: an additional count of knowingly withholding national security information and two additional counts of obstruction.
In the 2020 election case, Smith accused Trump of conspiracy to defraud the United States; conspiracy to obstruct the administration of justice; violation of administrative law; and conspiracy against rights. Trump did not press charges.
The lawsuits brought by Smith against Trump did not go to trial either.
Former United States President Donald Trump walks to address the media at the end of the day during his hush money hearing in Manhattan Criminal Court on May 7, 2024 in New York City. (Getty Images)
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Despite the efforts of Trump's lawyers to block the release of the report, Attorney General Merrick Garland was adamant that he would publish at least one of Smith's reports.
This is an ongoing story. Please check back for updates.