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Jack Smith (54) has already received some Trump-typical niceties from Donald Trump (76). The former US president described the special investigator who indicted him in the documents affair as “insane”, “Trump hater” and “coward”. But Smith doesn’t seem the type to be intimidated by such statements. In his long judicial career, the 54-year-old prosecutor has pursued a number of politically sensitive cases and investigated war crimes.
The Trump document affair is nevertheless a case of unique political dimensions: Trump is not only the first president in American history to be charged by the federal judiciary. Trump is also the overwhelming favorite in the race for the Republican presidential nomination – and is therefore most likely to challenge incumbent Joe Biden in the November 2024 election. The right-wing populist, who turns 77 on Wednesday, has described himself several times as a victim of politically motivated investigations.
Was chief prosecutor for war crimes in Kosovo
Smith has vehemently denied such allegations: “Applying laws, gathering facts, that determines the outcome of an investigation. No more, no less,” the special counsel said Friday after the indictment against Trump was published. The law of the land applies equally to “all” people.
The lawyer and bearded man, who looks grim in some photos, was working in The Hague as chief prosecutor at the special war crimes tribunal in Kosovo when US Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed him special investigator in the Trump case in November. . From that point forward, Smith led the investigation not only into numerous classified documents that Trump took from the White House to his private Mar-a-Lago estate at the end of his term in January 2021, but also into Trump’s role in the storming of the Capitol. January 6, 2021 .
The man for politically explosive investigations
Smith operated with the utmost discretion, there were no interviews or public appearances until the indictment was published. When a camera crew intercepted the special counsel a few days earlier, he had walked on with a stoic expression, ignoring the questions shouted at him. The graduate of the elite Harvard University began his career in the 1990s as a New York district attorney. In 1999 he moved to one of the public prosecutor’s offices in the metropolis, where he worked for nine years.
In 2008, Smith went to the International Criminal Court in The Hague. There he worked as an investigative coordinator for two years, overseeing war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide investigations against foreign government officials and militias.
Smith then returned to the United States and for five years headed the Justice Department’s Public Integrity Division, responsible for large-scale corruption cases across the country. He determined it for Democratic Party politicians as well as Republicans. He later joined the Federal Prosecutor’s Office in southern Tennessee before crossing the Atlantic again in 2018 and beginning his work as chief prosecutor at the Kosovo Special Tribunal in The Hague.
The investigations into former leaders of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) were politically explosive as powerful and popular personalities in Kosovo were targeted. In 2020, Smith obtained an indictment against then Kosovo President Hashim Thaci (55), who subsequently resigned and whose trial in The Hague for alleged war crimes began in early April.
Trump in court on Tuesday
In December last year, shortly after Smith’s departure, the special tribunal sentenced former KLA commander Salih Mustafa to 26 years in prison for murder and torture in his first trial. Smith had described this process as a “milestone”.
Smith’s move to Washington was delayed following his appointment as Trump’s special counsel. According to media reports, the enthusiastic triathlete suffered a leg injury in a cycling accident and was still recovering from it. Smith, who is married to a documentary filmmaker, continued the investigations against the ex-president at a rapid pace.
After Trump’s indictment, Smith stated that he wanted a “speedy trial”. The case is being tried in federal court in Miami, not far from Mar-a-Lago. Trump must appear in court for the first time on Tuesday, the further timing is still unclear.
There is little doubt that Smith will have to endure many more verbal attacks from Trump. The right-wing populist also attacked Smith’s wife, who produced the documentary ‘Becoming’ about former First Lady Michelle Obama (59). And Trump’s anger can only grow – if Smith decides to sue the ex-president over the storming of the Capitol. (AFP)
Source: Blick
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
