US government appoints independent prosecutor to investigate Trump

The Justice Department of USA appointed an independent prosecutor on Friday to oversee criminal investigations into Donald Trumpthree days after the former president announced his run for the White House in 2024.

The designation is a sign of a protracted legal battle, in which Trump will likely claim he is targeting the president, Joe Bidento prevent it from returning to the White House.

Attorney General Merrick Garland announced to the press the appointment of Jack Smith, who until recently was chief prosecutor at the Kosovo war crimes tribunal in The Hague.

Smith promised in a statement to act “quickly and thoroughly” and “independently” and in accordance “with the law and the facts.”

Trump is under investigation for keeping government documents that were discovered in a drug raid FBI at his Florida mansion and for his involvement in the 2021 assault on the United States Capitol by a mob of his followers who sought to annul the results of the 2020 elections.

Garland said appointing an independent prosecutor was in the “public interest” because both Republican Trump and Democrat Biden have declared their intention to run in 2024; although only Trump has already run.

“Based on the latest facts, including the former president’s announcement that he is a candidate for the presidency (…) and the declared intention of the acting president to also be a candidate, I have concluded that it is in the public interest to appoint a special counsel,” Garland said.

justice and politics

The former president called Smith’s appointment “political” and “unfair.”

“I’ve been through this for six years,” Trump told Fox News Digital. “It’s unacceptable. It’s so unfair. It’s so political,” he added.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that “the president (Joe Biden) was unaware” of the special counsel’s appointment.

“We are not involved in criminal investigations,” he added, asserting that the government will not “politicize the Department of Justice.”

The special counsel will determine whether Trump should face charges for those two investigations. His run for president on Tuesday makes it more difficult to prosecute.

The independent prosecutor could help insulate Garland from allegations that the investigations are politically motivated.

In addition, Smith will report directly to Garland, who will have the final say on whether to bring charges against the former president.

Even if he is accused, Trump can be a candidate for the presidency. No United States law disqualifies the candidacy of a defendant.

During his tenure, Trump was investigated by special counsel Robert Mueller for obstruction of justice and possible electoral collusion with Russia, but no charges were filed against him.

Trump’s unusually early run in the 2024 election was seen by some analysts as a way to avoid potential criminal charges.

Trump, 76, was impeached in 2019 by the House of Representatives for trying to dirty Biden in the electoral campaign and then for having instigated the assault on the Capitol in 2021. In both impeachment trials he was acquitted by the Senate.