US: Special Counsel Jack Smith defends election investigation, dismisses Trump’s attacks

Special Counsel Jack Smith delivered a final, pointed defense of his investigation into Donald Trump, addressing the former president’s unfounded attacks on the prosecutors involved in two criminal cases against him. 

In a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland, Smith condemned Trump’s “laughable” claims and reiterated his commitment to upholding the law without partisan influence.

“While we were unable to bring the cases we charged to trial, I believe the fact that our team stood up for the rule of law matters. 

“I believe the example our team set for others to fight for justice without regard for personal costs matters. The facts, as we uncovered them in our investigation and as set forth in my Report, matter,” Smith wrote.

Trump pleaded not guilty in 2023 to 40 criminal charges related to his handling of classified documents after leaving office and also faced separate charges regarding his efforts to overturn the 2020 election results. Both cases were ultimately dropped after Trump’s reelection, due to the Justice Department’s policy of not prosecuting sitting presidents.

Smith’s letter emphasized that his investigation adhered to the principle that the United States is a “government of laws, and not of men,” stating that no individual, regardless of their position, is above the law. 

He explained that his decision to pursue charges against Trump was based on the severity of the offenses and their potential harm to the public.

“As set forth in my Report, after conducting thorough investigations, I found that, with respect to both  Trump’s unprecedented efforts to unlawfully retain power after losing the 2020 election and his unlawful retention of classified documents after leaving office, the Principles compelled prosecution. 

Indeed,  Trump’s cases represented ones ‘in which the offense [was] the most flagrant, the public harm the greatest, and the proof the most certain,'” Smith wrote.

Responding directly to Trump’s repeated claims of political motivation behind the prosecution, Smith defended the integrity of his team and firmly rejected any partisan influence. “Throughout my service as Special Counsel, seeking to influence the election one way or the other, or seeking to interfere in its outcome, played no role in our work. My Office had one north star: to follow the facts and law wherever they lead. Nothing more and nothing less,” Smith wrote.

Smith also emphasized that the decision to charge Trump was his alone, dismissing claims that political figures had directed the prosecution. “While I relied greatly on the counsel, judgment, and advice of our team, I want it to be clear that the ultimate decision to bring charges against  Trump was mine. It is a decision I stand behind fully,” Smith wrote.

Acknowledging the unusual situation created by his appointment in November 2022, coinciding with Trump’s campaign announcement, Smith insisted that the circumstances did not affect his judgment or commitment to the law. 

“It is equally important for me to make clear that nobody within the Department of Justice ever sought to interfere with, or improperly influence, my prosecutorial decision making,” Smith wrote.

Trump’s accusations that Smith had been influenced by political actors were described as “laughable.” “And to all who know me well, the claim from  Trump that my decisions as a prosecutor were influenced or directed by the Biden administration or other political actors is, in a word, laughable,” Smith wrote.

Smith staunchly defended his team, who had been harshly criticized by Trump, describing them as “people of great decency and the highest personal integrity” who faced threats and attacks to do their jobs. “These are intensely good people who did hard things well,” Smith wrote.

As Trump prepares for his inauguration and an expected overhaul of the Department of Justice, Smith reaffirmed his confidence in his decisions, underscoring the DOJ’s long-standing commitment that “power, politics, influence, status, wealth, fear, and favour should not impede justice under the law.

“Experienced prosecutors know that you cannot control outcomes, you can only do your job the right way for the right reasons,” Smith wrote. “I conclude our work confident that we have done so, and that we have met fully our obligations to the Department and to our country.”

(ABC NEWS)

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