He has faced four prosecutions in total , with the federal cases joined by charges in New York and Georgia. A Trump-appointed federal judge in Florida already dismissed the classified documents case earlier this year, ruling that Smith was unlawfully appointed. Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed Smith as special counsel in November 2022, just days after Trump announced he would make another bid for the presidency. Following this month’s election, the special counsel’s team began evaluating how to wind down the federal cases. Trump-appointed Justice Department leadership could order that appeal dropped after taking office next year.

Source: Wall Street Journal November 26, 2024 05:03 UTC