Merrick Garland Has Named A Special Counsel That Would Oversee Trump Probes

Merrick Garland
Merrick Garland

The legal probes that Donald Trump is currently facing in two of the federal criminal investigations will now have a new special counsel- who was appointed as the counsel of the Justice Department and Attorney General Merrick Garland.

A DOJ alum who is known for his work in prosecuting international war crimes, Jack Smith, will be taking over the investigation into the sensitive government documents that were taken to the Florida home of the former President at the end of his Presidency. Smith will also be overseeing most of the aspects of the probe reviewing efforts that would further obstruct the transfer of presidential power after 2020, which would then include bids that would be interfering with the certification of Congress to vote.

Merrick Garland Has Appointed Jack Smith To Take Over Trump Investigations 

Merrick Garland unveiled the appointment of this special counsel for the investigations after the former POTUS announced that he would be running for the White House again in 2024. Smith will therefore be reporting to the Attorney General himself. But as a special counsel, he would also be operating out of the supervision of the political leadership of the department and his interactions with the political appointees with Biden would be further limited.

The independent special counsel also puts a lot of distance between the political leadership of the Department, who had been appointed by the current President, and what has been happening throughout the investigations into Donald Trump. According to a DOJ official, Smith is still registered as an independent representative. 

Speaking about the appointment, Merrick Garland stated that such an appointment would surely be underscoring the commitment of the Department to both accountability and independence in matters that were particularly sensitive. It would also allow the prosecutors and the agents to keep working expeditiously.