Super Cop to investigate against the invincible Trump
2023.01.04 13:59
Super Cop to investigate against the invincible Trump
Budrigannews.com – The United States special counsel appointed to investigate Republican former President Donald Trump, Jack Smith, is known for winning difficult cases against war criminals, mobsters, and dishonest police officers.
But behind the scenes, former coworkers say that Smith is just as determined to get criminal charges against the innocent dropped as he is to get convictions against the guilty.
At the point when Smith isn’t caught up with contending as a marathon runner in Ironman races, they said, he is functioning as a hounded examiner who is liberal and not reluctant to seek after reality.
Mark Lesko, an attorney at Greenberg Traurig LLP who collaborated with Smith as a prosecutor at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Brooklyn, stated, “If the case is prosecutable, he will do it.” He has no fear.”
A person who is familiar with the situation and spoke on condition of anonymity on Wednesday said that Smith recently returned to the United States after working from The Hague, Netherlands, since November while recovering from knee surgery following a biking accident.
In November, Smith was appointed by Attorney General Merrick Garland to lead two investigations involving Trump, who is running for president in 2024.
The first investigation focuses on how Trump handled highly classified documents that he kept at his resort in Florida after leaving the White House in January 2021.
The second investigation is looking into attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election, including a plan to submit fictitious electorate slates to prevent Congress from certifying the victory of Democrat Joe Biden.
In recent months, numerous former top Trump administration officials have testified to both investigations before grand juries in Washington.
Smith, a graduate of Harvard Law School who is not affiliated with any political party, began her career as a prosecutor in 1994 at the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office under Robert Morgenthau, who was best known for prosecuting mob bosses. Smith is not registered with any political parties.
Smith’s companions acknowledge Morgenthau for imparting in him the abilities that made him the examiner he is today.
Todd Harrison, an attorney at McDermott Will & Emery who worked with Smith in the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office and later in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Brooklyn, recalled, “There was just a real emphasis, from Morgenthau on down, on not just going after convictions.”
“If we investigated something and demonstrated that the target was innocent, we were praised.”
After learning that a suspect in one of their cases was innocent, he and Smith once “spent the whole night making phone calls.” The next day, the suspect was let go.
Smith began working at the Brooklyn U.S. Attorney’s Office in 1999.
He was successful in obtaining a conviction against New York City Police Officer Justin Volpe, a white officer who was given a sentence of 30 years in prison for using a broomstick to attack a Black prisoner, Abner Louima.
Even though a federal appeals court vacated the death penalty verdict, Smith also won a capital murder conviction against Ronell Wilson, a leader of a drug gang who killed two undercover New York City police officers.
Smith left in 2008 to oversee the prosecution of war crimes at the International Criminal Court in The Hague. In 2010, he came back to the Justice Department and led the Public Integrity Section there until 2015.
He most recently served as chief prosecutor for the special court in The Hague that was looking into war crimes in Kosovo. Last month, he got Salih Mustafa, a former commander of the Kosovo Liberation Army, convicted.
Moe Fodeman, an attorney at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati who previously worked as a prosecutor alongside Smith, stated that Smith is renowned for being methodical and creative.
Fodeman stated, “He is famous for to-do lists,” and he added, “with ideas that, of course, you should do, but no one thinks of.”
Fodeman predicted that the special counsel’s investigations into Trump will likely move quickly given Smith’s reputation for speed.
Fodeman stated, “He’s not going to be dillydallying.” He is going to finish the job.”
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