Special counsel appointed for Trump-related probes

U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland on Friday tasked veteran prosecutor Jack Smith with overseeing the Justice Department’s investigations into former President Donald Trump. Smith will spearhead the inquiry into presidential documents found at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, as well as certain portions of the Justice Department’s investigation into the Jan. 6 Capitol riot and efforts to overturn the 2020 election.

Why is Garland appointing a special counsel? It is a recognition of the political implications of the Justice Department’s investigations into Trump, who announced this week he is running for president again. Garland said that in certain, extraordinary cases, it is “in the public’s interest” for the department to appoint a special, independent prosecutor to manage an investigation.

Dig deeper: Read Lynn Vincent’s report in WORLD Magazine about how the FBI’s raid of Mar-a-Lago may signal a new era in American politics.