Special counsel Jack Smith resigns from DOJ as Trump’s fight to block final report continues

Special Counsel Jack Smith resigned Friday from the Department of Justice as President-elect Donald Trump and others continued efforts to block the release of Smith’s final report on his criminal investigations of the Republican.

Smith, who was appointed by Attorney General Merrick Garland in November 2022, left his post 10 days before Trump’s inauguration.

His departure was expected, as Smith indicated he would leave before Trump took office, and because the president-elect planned to fire the special counsel if he did not resign.

But the timing of it was only disclosed Saturday, in a brief footnote of a DOJ court filing to U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon of Florida, who was appointed to the bench by Trump.