He deals with two of the ongoing investigations after the former president announced his bid for re-election.
The US Attorney General to appoint a special investigator to lead two investigations into former President Donald Trump, according to the New York Times.
The decision could prevent conflicts of interest, since Trump has announced that he is running for re-election, once again becoming a direct political opponent of the current regime, despite being under investigation.
Special Prosecutors have additional powers and a greater degree of independence than other prosecutors, who are more directly subordinate to the Ministry of Justice.
A special investigator is therefore often appointed in cases where there may be a conflict of interest.
During a press conference, Justice Minister Merrick Garland stressed Trump’s choice to run again in the elections, and that Biden said the same.
– I concluded that it is in the public interest to appoint a special investigator, Garland said, emphasizing that it guarantees independence.
It’s also harder to fire a special investigator, which it was a theme during the previous high-profile case with a special investigator in the United States: Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian election interference during the 2016 election.
That investigation found evidence of electoral influence, but not that there was a conspiracy between the Trump campaign and the Russians.
The new special investigator, Jack Smith, looks back on a nearly 30-year career.
As of now, he is in charge of prosecution at the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands, where he has, among other things, prosecuted war crimes committed in Kosovo.
– Smith will begin work immediately and return to the United States, Attorney General Garland said at a press conference on Friday.
Talk to a former colleague of Smith’s, attorney James McGovern New York Times that the new special investigator is apolitical.
– I have no idea what political views he has because he is completely apolitical. He’s committed to doing what’s right, says McGovern.
There are several investigations into Trump and his activities in the United States.
One of the investigations that the special investigator will deal with concerns Trump’s role in the previous period the riots in Washington January 6, when Congress was stormed. The second investigation concerns secret cards Trump took with him out of the White House after his presidency ended.
