On Jan. 11, United States Special Council Jack Smith resigned from the Department of Justice. Smith led two of the four federal lawsuits against President-elect Donald Trump, accusing him of attempting to reverse the 2020 U.S. Presidential Election results and misusing classified documents. Florida U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon dismissed one of his cases, and the other was paused because the U.S. Supreme Court found a policy that says former presidents maintain immunity from prosecution regarding official actions. Smith dropped these cases immediately after Trump was victorious in the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election against Vice President Kamala Harris. Many speculate that Smith’s resignation is in anticipation of Trump’s upcoming inauguration to the White House on Jan. 20.

Prior to his departure, Smith already indicated that he planned to step down. His resignation was finalized during a legal battle with Attorney General Merrick Garland, who planned to publicize the special council’s review of Smith’s investigations into Trump. Garland has now hinted that although the portion of the report covering Smith’s research about Trump and his previously accused charges has not been released, he believes they should be released in the future.