Jack Smith, the experienced war crimes prosecutor who unveiled two unprecedented federal indictments against former US president Donald Trump, is no stranger to high-profile probes of public figures.
The US Department of Justice veteran oversaw anti-corruption prosecutions against multiple US politicians in his role as the head of the Department of Justice public integrity section from 2010 to 2015.
One of those cases was against former Virginia governor Robert McDonnell, a Republican against whom he secured a conviction on bribery charges, though the case was later thrown out by the US Supreme Court.
He also won a conviction of former GOP Representative Rick Renzi of Arizona, who received a sentence of three years in prison before being pardoned by Mr Trump.
A Harvard Law School graduate, Mr Smith also served in prosecutorial roles in US Attorney offices in the Middle District of Tennessee and the Eastern District of New York.
Prior to his appointment by Mr Garland, Mr Smith lived in the Dutch city of The Hague, where he has been serving as a “specialist prosecutor” overseeing investigations into war crimes in Kosovo since 2018.
He also served as a coordinator of investigations for the prosecutor’s office at the International Criminal Court from 2008 to 2010, where he worked on cases against foreign government officials and members of militias accused of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide.
Mr Smith returned to the US last November after being appointed a special counsel by Attorney General Merrick Garland.
His first mission was to consider, “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”.
The second, which led to Mr Trump being indicted and arraigned in 37 federal charges, was about whether the former president had violated US laws prohibiting unlawful retention of national defence information and obstruction of justice.
Donald Trump.— (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)
It marked the first time in US history that an ex-president — let alone one who is a declared candidate in the next presidential election — faced criminal charges.
On 13 June, Mr Trump was arrested and arraigned on those charges in a federal court in Miami, where he pleaded not guilty. His longtime aide Walt Nauta was also charged in the case,
Coming face-to-face in the courtroom, several reporters described how Mr Smith was seen staring down the former president throughout the entirety of the arraignment proceedings.
On 27 July, Mr Smith hit Mr Trump with fresh charges in the case over accusations that he tried to delete Mar-a-Lago security footage so it couldn’t be handed over to investigators probing his handling of secret documents.
According to prosecutors, Mr Nauta and a new third defendant – Mar-a-Lago property manager Carlos De Oliveira – collaborated to hide the footage. Mr Nauta and Mr De Oliveira were also charged over the matter.
Mr Trump was also hit with a new charge – his 32nd for retaining national defence information – in relation to a new classified document described as a top secret “presentation concerning military activity in a foreign country”. This document is believed to be a plan of attack on Iran which a leaked audio previously revealed Mr Trump discussing in a meeting with biographers and staffers at his Bedminster, New Jersey golf club.
Mr Trump is expected to go to trial on 20 May 2024 in Florida.
But beyond the classified documents case, Mr Smith also investigated Mr Trump’s efforts to remain in office despite losing the 2020 election, including any role he may have had in inciting the insurrection on 6 January 2021 for which he was impeached but not convicted in the US Senate trial.
Donald Trump gestures at the end of his speech during a rally to contest the certification of the 2020 U.S. presidential election results by the U.S. Congress, in Washington, U.S, January 6, 2021.— (REUTERS)
On 18 July, the former president said he had received a letter stating that he’s a target of a federal grand jury probe.
Then on 1 August, a third indictment was brought against the ex-president.
A grand jury in Washington DC voted to charge Mr Trump on four counts of conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, conspiracy against rights and obstruction of, and attempt to obstruct, an official proceeding.
On 3 August, Mr Trump surrendered to authorities in Washington DC to be arrested before appearing for his arraignment. Later in the month, the federal judge overseeing the case set a trial date for 4 March 2024.
In the courtroom, Mr Trump and his nemesis Mr Smith came face to face once again – staring each other down as the former president pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Jack Smith presiding during a war crimes court hearing at The Hague on November 2020— (POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
As he pursues charges against one of the most famous men in the world, Mr Smith has been thrust into the spotlight.
So will his prior experience be ample preparation for the punishing national attention to which he will now be subjected, including Mr Trump’s infamous social media broadsides?
Following his first federal indictment in June, Mr Trump lashed out at Mr Smith, accusing him of being a “Trump hater” and “a deranged ’psycho’ that shouldn’t be involved in any case having to do with ‘justice,’ other than to look at Biden as a criminal – which he is!”
Subsequently, Mr Trump’s allies and supporters began attacking Mr Smith, including Kimberly Guilfoyle, Matt Gaetz and Mark Levin.
“Special Counsel Jack Smith is atrocious,” MAGA War Room tweeted on 13 June – the day of Mr Trump’s arrest and arraignment.
Far-right US Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene introduced an appropriations rider to the House floor on 12 June to “defund Jack Smith’s Special Counsel, his office and the investigation.”
“This is a weaponized government attempt to take down the top political enemy and leading presidential candidate,” she said.
Mr Smith has also faced repeated attacks from Mr Trump himself ever since that first federal indictment was handed down.
In his post-arraignment speech at Bedminster on 13 June, the former president laid into the special prosecutor.
“He looks like a thug,” he said of Mr Smith.
“He’s a raging and uncontrolled Trump hater, as is his wife, who also happened to be the producer of that Michelle Obama puff piece.” (Mr Smith’s wife, Katy Chevigny, is a documentary filmmaker who produced 2020’s Becoming.)
Mr Smith has been unfaltering in his response.
On 9 June, when the indictment was unsealed, he struck a defiant note – a note he appeared to continue to take in his courtroom stance.
“Adherence to the rule of law is a bedrock principle of the Department of Justice, and our nation’s commitment to the rule of law sets an example for the world,” he told reporters.
“We have one set of laws in this country and they apply to everyone.”
After Mr Trump was federally indicted for a second time, Mr Trump‘s campaign released a statement calling the indictment “disgraceful” and “political targeting”.
“The lawlessness of these persecutions of President Trump and his supporters is reminiscent of Nazi Germany in the 1930s, the former Soviet Union, and other authoritarian, dictatorial regimes. President Trump has always followed the law and the Constitution with advice from many highly accomplished attorneys,” the statement from Mr Trump’s campaign read.
Gustaf Kilander and Ariana Baio contributed to this report
