Jack Smith, the special counsel who brought two criminal cases against then-former President Donald Trump, was critical of the Trump administration in the interview. Smith, who resigned from the Justice Department in January, warned that attacks on public officials could have an “incalculable” cost to the country.
“I think the attacks on public officials, especially nonpartisan public officials — I think it has an incalculable cost to our country, and I think we — it’s hard to tell people what it’s going to cost us,” Smith said last week during an interview with former federal prosecutor Andrew Weissman at University College London Law School.
Smith’s investigation
Smith-led investigations that resulted in two charges against Trump: one related to the handling of classified documents and the other related to trying to sway the results of the 2020 election. Trump has denied wrongdoing and dismissed both cases as a politically motivated “witch hunt.”
The classified documents case was later dismissed by Trump-appointed U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, who ruled that Smith’s appointment was illegal. Smith withdrew the 2020 election case after Trump’s November re-election, citing the Justice Department’s policy on prosecuting sitting presidents.
Endangering the independence of the judiciary
Smith warned of pressures on the judiciary and prosecutors, saying they “shouldn’t see their jobs as popularity contests”.
“They need space and space to make decisions that some people may not like,” Smith said.
Actions by the Ministry of Justice against officials
Since Trump took office, the administration has targeted officials who worked on civil and criminal cases against him. This includes actions against FBI agents connected to the Smith investigation.
New developments include the bank fraud indictment of New York Attorney General Letitia James and the recent indictment of former FBI Director James Comey, who clashed with Trump over the Russia investigation. Trump also suggested that Sen. Adam Schiff of California could face scrutiny.
