US administration appoints special prosecutor to investigate Trump
Attorney General Merrick Garland announces Jack Smith as special prosecutor to oversee two investigations into Donald Trump, in Washington, this Friday, November 18, 2022. AP - Andrew Harnik
Text by: RFI Follow
2 mins
The head of the US Department of Justice has appointed, this Friday, November 18, a special prosecutor to investigate Donald Trump.
And it is a former Special Tribunal for Kosovo in The Hague, an expert in war crimes, who has been chosen to look into the former president, who has just announced his candidacy for 2024.
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"
Given recent developments, including the former president's announcement of his candidacy for the next presidential election and the current president's intention to stand as a candidate, I have concluded that it is in the interest of the public that I appoint a special prosecutor
”, justified Merrick Garland, American Minister of Justice.
During a televised address on Friday, the Attorney General of the United States clarified that he had entrusted this particularly “sensitive” mission to Jack Smith, a prosecutor based in The Hague, an expert in war crimes.
The latter immediately takes in hand not one, but two separate investigations targeting Donald Trump.
The two investigations have been ongoing for months, under the leadership of the American federal justice system.
The first relates to the aftermath of the 2020 presidential election, the second to the management by the former head of state of confidential documents supposed to be archived.
Jack Smith is now responsible for overseeing them independently.
And it is therefore "
in complete independence
", in his words, that Mr. Smith promised in a press release to act "
quickly
", but "
thoroughly
".
"
He will exercise his professional judgment independently to decide whether there should be an indictment
," also insists Mr. Garland, a member of Joe Biden's administration.
FULL REMARKS
Attorney General Merrick Garland names Jack Smith as special counsel overseeing the criminal investigation into former president Donald Trump's possible mishandling of classified documents as well as key aspects of the Jan.
6 investigation.https://t.co/rnqOs2stif pic.twitter.com/edxyVC5FQM
—JM Rieger (@RiegerReport) November 18, 2022
Mr. Trump reacted.
In an interview with Fox News, the former US president denounced what he considers to be "
the worst politicization of justice
" in the country's history, stating that he will not participate in the investigations.
"
It's shameful, they're doing it just because I'm leading the polls
," he says.
►Read again: United States: Republican leaders and donors skeptical of the Trump candidacy
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