Jack Smith, Who Led Prosecutions of Trump, Resigns

Jack Smith, the special counsel who brought two unsuccessful federal prosecutions against President-elect Donald J. Trump, resigned his post this week, according to an announcement buried in the footnote of a legal filing.

Mr. Smith, a former war crimes prosecutor who lost a protracted battle with the Trump legal team in appellate courts and the Supreme Court, left his offices in Washington on Friday, according to a senior law enforcement official.

His departure was expected. Mr. Smith had signaled his intention to leave before Mr. Trump, who had threatened to fire him, took office on Jan. 20. His final week was marked, fittingly enough, by one more legal setback at the hands of Judge Aileen M. Cannon, the Trump-appointed district court judge presiding over the Florida documents case, who temporarily blocked public release of his final report.

The high-stakes saga ended with a single line at the bottom of Page 10 in a filing to Judge Cannon: “The special counsel completed his work and submitted his final confidential report on Jan. 7, 2025, and separated from the department on Jan. 10.”