Smith special counsel investigation

The order appointing Jack Smith as special counsel, dated November 18, 2022
January 6 United
States Capitol attack
Timeline • Planning
Background
2020 presidential election
and other causes
Related groups and persons
Participants
Notable people
Organizations
Law enforcement response
Aftermath
Biden inauguration
Investigations and charges
Corporate actions
Reactions
Impeachment and 2024 presidential election

An ongoing special counsel investigation was opened by U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland on November 18, 2022, to continue two investigations initiated by the Justice Department (DOJ) regarding former U.S. President Donald Trump. Garland appointed Jack Smith, a longtime federal prosecutor, to lead the independent investigations. Smith was tasked with investigating Trump's role in the January 6 United States Capitol attack and Trump's mishandling of government records, including classified documents.

Smith moved quickly to advance his investigations, assembling a team of at least twenty DOJ prosecutors, and called witnesses for grand jury testimony, issued subpoenas to election officials in multiple states and asked a federal judge to hold Trump in contempt for refusing to comply with a subpoena.

On June 8, 2023, a grand jury in the Southern Florida U.S. District Court indicted Trump on 37 felony counts,[1] including charges of willful retention of national security material, obstruction of justice and conspiracy, relating to his removal and retention of presidential materials from the White House after his presidency ended.[2] Thirty-one of the counts fell under the Espionage Act.[3] Trump pleaded not guilty.[4][5][6] The judge set trial for May 20, 2024.[7]

On August 1, 2023, a grand jury for the District of Columbia U.S. District Court issued a four-count indictment of Trump for conspiracy to defraud the United States under Title 18 of the United States Code, obstructing an official proceeding and conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding under the Sarbanes–Oxley Act, and conspiracy against rights under the Enforcement Act of 1870 for his conduct following the 2020 presidential election through the January 6 Capitol attack.[8][9][10] Trump pleaded not guilty.[11] The judge set trial for March 4, 2024.[12]

On July 15, 2024, U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon dismissed the classified documents prosecution against Donald Trump, siding with the former president’s argument that special counsel Jack Smith was unlawfully appointed.[13]

  1. ^ Santucci, John; Pereira, Ivan. "37-count Trump federal indictment unsealed in classified documents probe". ABC News. Archived from the original on June 9, 2023. Retrieved June 9, 2023.
  2. ^ Alan Feuer; Maggie Haberman; William K. Rashbaum; Benjamin Protess (June 8, 2023). "Trump Is Charged in Classified Documents Inquiry". The New York Times. Archived from the original on June 9, 2023. Retrieved June 9, 2023.
  3. ^ Kyle Cheney; Josh Gerstein (June 9, 2023). "Trump indictment unsealed". Politico. Archived from the original on June 9, 2023. Retrieved June 9, 2023.
  4. ^ "Trump booked and processed at Miami federal court". NBC News. June 13, 2023. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
  5. ^ Allen, Jonathan; Gregorian, Darah; Seitz, Alex (June 13, 2023). "Trump surrenders to federal custody; is booked ahead of arraignment". NBC News. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
  6. ^ Herb, Jeremy; Lybrand, Holmes (June 13, 2023). "Donald Trump pleads not guilty to classified documents charges". CNN. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
  7. ^ Polantz, Katelyn; Sneed, Tierney; Scannell, Kara (July 21, 2023). "Judge sets May 2024 trial date for Donald Trump in documents case". CNN Politics. Archived from the original on July 22, 2023. Retrieved July 21, 2023.
  8. ^ "Trump indicted for efforts to undermine the 2020 election". PBS NewsHour. WETA. August 1, 2023. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
  9. ^ Grabenstein, Hannah; Serino, Kenichi (August 1, 2023). "Read the full indictment against Trump for his alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election". PBS NewsHour. WETA. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
  10. ^ Berris, Peter G. (August 3, 2023). Overview of the Indictment of Former President Trump Related to the 2020 Election (Report). Congressional Research Service. Retrieved August 23, 2023.
  11. ^ Kunzelman, Michael; Tucker, Eric; Merchant, Nomaan (August 3, 2023). "Trump pleads not guilty to federal felonies related to the 2020 election". PBS NewsHour. WETA. Retrieved August 4, 2023.
  12. ^ Rabinowitz, Hannah; Lybrand, Holmes (August 28, 2023). "Judge sets Trump DC federal election subversion trial for March 4, 2024 — one day before Super Tuesday". CNN. Retrieved August 28, 2023.
  13. ^ Barber, C. Ryan; Gurman, Sadie (July 15, 2024). "Federal Judge Dismisses Classified Documents Prosecution Against Trump". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved July 15, 2024.