Developing: AG Garland to name Special Counsel to Investigate Trump

And - thoughts on America First

Breaking news from the Wall Street Journal:

“Attorney General Merrick Garland will appoint a special counsel to determine whether former President Donald Trump should face charges stemming from Justice Department probes, according to a person familiar with the matter.”

Updates as they come through:

1. AG Garland named former federal prosecutor Jack Smith as Special Counsel. Smith most recently worked at the International Criminal Court at The Hague. From 2010 to 2015, Smith served as Chief of the Public Integrity Section of the US Department of Justice, where he oversaw complex public corruption cases across the US. Further information on Smith can be found here.

2. The scope of Smith’s appointment includes January 6 and the ongoing classified/national security documents investigation. As to January 6, Smith is tasked to “conduct the ongoing investigation into

What of Jack Smith’s past? Here’s some background on his connections to Lois Lerner and his involvement in the IRS targeting scandal back in the early 2010s:

In their letter to Attorney General Eric Holder, the Committee said, “The Justice Department convened a meeting with former IRS official Lois Lerner in October 2010 to discuss how the IRS could assist in the criminal enforcement of campaign-finance laws against politically active nonprofits. This meeting was arranged at the direction of Public Integrity Section Chief Jack Smith.”

As to January 6, Smith is tasked to “conduct the ongoing investigation into whether any person or entity violated the law in connection with efforts to interfere with the lawful transfer of power following the 2020 presidential election or the certification of the Electoral College vote held on or about January 6, 2021.”

With respect to the Mar-a-Lago raid, Smith “is further authorized to conduct that investigation . . . and any matters that arise or may arise directly from that investigation.”

Here is the appointing document: