Special counsel Jack Smith resigned.

WASHINGTON — Special counsel Jack Smith resigned from the Justice Department on Friday, officials said in court Filing On Saturday

Action It was expected Before President-elect Donald Trump takes the oath of office.

Smith’s report on Trump’s alleged involvement in 2020 election meddling is expected to be released soon. Trump has denied these allegations.

“The special counsel completed his work and submitted his final confidential report on January 7, 2025, and separated from the department on January 10,” a government court filing said in a footnote.

The footnote was part of a Justice Department filing in which the government asked U.S. District Judge Ellen Cannon, a Trump appointee, not to extend a temporary ban on the release of parts of the Smith report. Are you stopping?

Trump was indicted on charges that he tried to overturn the results of the 2020 election. He entered a not guilty plea before the case was dismissed. Federal charges, brought by Smith, Dismissed After Trump is elected in 2024. The Justice Department has a longstanding policy of not prosecuting sitting presidents.

Smith was appointed in November 2022 by Attorney General Merrick Garland. Mala Said at that time that Smith’s appointment was in the “public interest” because Trump had announced his candidacy and Biden was also planning to run for a second term. Garland, who was appointed by Biden, said in 2022 that his selection of Smith “underscores the department’s commitment to both independence and accountability in particularly sensitive matters.”

Smith oversaw the investigation into Trump’s alleged efforts to sway the 2020 election, as well as allegations that he mishandled classified documents.

The former president was also charged in the secret documents case. Cannon fired The case was settled in July 2024, ruling that Smith had been illegally appointed and funded. Trump has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

The president-elect often criticized Smith, and He said in October that he would “fire him within two seconds” of taking office.

A spokesman for Trump did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

earlier this week, A federal appeals court ruled that the Justice Department could release Smith’s report on Trump’s alleged efforts to sway the 2020 election. However, the court upheld Cannon’s order that the release of the report be delayed for three days so that Trump could consider further appeals against the decision.

Cannon said in Saturday’s order that the Justice Department must submit a filing by 10 a.m. Sunday confirming that Walt Nota or Carlos de Oliveira were included in Smith’s report on alleged election interference. Not discussed are two co-defendants in the classified documents case. Although the classified documents case against Trump was dismissed, Nota and D’Oliveira still face charges.

Smith has said that he will not release the second volume of his report on the classified documents case because charges are pending against the co-defendants.