LAWYER WHO LED PROSECUTION AGAINST TRUMP RESIGNS, FLEES US

download 53 3

LAWYER WHO LED PROSECUTION AGAINST TRUMP RESIGNS, FLEES US

Jack Smith, the special counsel who led prosecution against United States President-elect Donald Trump, has resigned and fled the country ahead of Trump’s inauguration on January 20.

According to statements of officials in the document submitted to the US District Judge Aileen Cannon, Smith had completed his work and submitted his final confidential report on January 7 this year before he finally took leave of the United States Department of Justice on January 10.

The high-profile cases handled by Smith involved Trump’s alleged mishandling of confidential documents after he left office and his alleged attempt to overturn the 2020 election which he contested and lost.

Smith, a former war crimes prosecutor, was appointed in November 2022 to steer the affairs of the Justice Department’s ongoing investigations into Trump’s cases.

But with Trump’s victory in the November 5 election, Smith dismissed the cases, citing a Justice Department rule against prosecuting incumbent presidents.

While asking courts to drop the charges, Smith’s legal team, however, acknowledged the validity of the cases but stated that they could not pursue them in view of the Trump’s impeding return to the Presidency.

This development signals the collapse of charges against Donald Trump, allowing him to take office without facing legal repercussions.

Trump had earlier threatened to fire Smith upon his assumption of office as second term US President.

  • Dons Eze

    DONS EZE, PhD, Political Philosopher and Journalist of over four decades standing, worked in several newspaper houses across the country, and rose to the positions of Editor and General Manager. A UNESCO Fellow in Journalism, Dr. Dons Eze, a prolific writer and author of many books, attended several courses on Journalism and Communication in both Nigeria and overseas, including a Postgraduate Course on Journalism at Warsaw, Poland; Strategic Communication and Practical Communication Approach at RIPA International, London, the United Kingdom, among others.

    Related Posts

    SUSPENSION BY SENATE: WE’LL HEAR FROM AKPABIO – IPU TELLS NATASHA

    SUSPENSION BY SENATE: WE’LL HEAR FROM AKPABIO – IPU TELLS NATASHA The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) says will take steps to address the concerns raised by Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, senator representing Kogi central in the national assembly. The IPU is a global organisation of national parliaments. It promotes peace, democracy and sustainable development among nations through diplomacy and dialogue. It also seeks to strengthen international parliaments and make them more effective. Akpoti-Uduaghan presented her case at an IPU meeting held at the United Nations headquarters in New York on Tuesday. She was suspended from the senate on March 6 for “gross misconduct” following her seating arrangement altercation with Senate President Godswill Akpabio. “Five days ago, on the 6th of March 2025, I was suspended as a senator illegally because I submitted a petition of sexual harassment against the president of the Nigerian senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio,” Akpoti-Uduagahn said at the IPU. “I thought by submitting the petition, he would recuse himself and both of us would submit ourselves to the committee of ethics, privileges and public petitions for a fair and transparent investigation. “But unfortunately, I was silenced, and I was suspended for six months among many other stringent conditions, such as taking away my security, taking away all the official vehicles and other items that were handed over to me as a senator.” Tulia Ackson, IPU president, acknowledged the concerns raised by Akpoti-Uduaghan and assured that the organisation would investigate the matter thoroughly. She said the IPU would listen to both sides of the issue before taking any necessary steps. Ackson recognised that another Nigerian delegate, Kafilat Ogbara, a member of the house of representatives, had requested to speak but was unable to due to time constraints. “I would like to say we have heard her concerns, and having heard her, it would have been an opportunity for all of us to understand more about what she has said,” Ackson said. “But because we listened only on her side, as an institution as IPU, we will be taking the concerns that have been raised, not only taking her side, but also giving a chance to listen to the other side, as it is a custom for IPU. “After having listened to the other side, we will take steps as necessary. So I thought it was necessary for us to say a word about it and then be able to take it further.”

    CANADA WILL CUT OFF ELECTRICITY SUPPLY TO U.S. – PREMIER

    CANADA WILL CUT OFF ELECTRICITY SUPPLY TO U.S – PREMIER WARNS 🇺🇸 President Donald Trump may have delayed most – though not all – of the tariffs he had imposed on Canada and Mexico, but that hasn’t stopped America’s northern neighbors from responding forcefully in retaliation. Ontario Premier Doug Ford at a press conference that he would move forward with a surcharge on electricity exports to three US states starting Monday, warning that he will turn off access if the United States adds new tariffs on Canadian goods. “If the United States escalates, I will not hesitate to shut the electricity off completely,” Ford told reporters. “Believe me when I say I do not want to do this, I feel terrible for the American people, because it’s not the American people who started this trade war. It’s one person who’s responsible. That’s President Trump.” Ford on Monday said the 25% surcharge “will cost families and businesses” in New York, Minnesota and Michigan and add around “$100 per month to the bills of hardworking Americans.” But it would also hurt Canada’s energy industry, in turn. Canada, which is far more dependent on US exports than America is on Canadian goods, risks plunging into a recession if the trade war escalates. As the saying goes: no one wins in a trade war. Along with his threat to cut electricity off completely, Ford said he may raise the 25% surcharge if US tariffs escalate. Trump has threatened to do just that: On Friday, he said he would levy dairy and lumber tariffs on Canada, matching dollar-for-dollar the duties Canada places on US goods. And Trump on Sunday said tariffs on Canada and Mexico could rise from the threatened 25% level if the countries don’t make good on their promises to help reduce the amount of fentanyl crossing over the boarder into America. Last week, the Ontario premier claimed he would shut off power to the US “with a smile on [his] face” if Trump continued to levy tariffs on Canadian exports.

    Leave a Reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    You Missed

    LEGISLATIVE LAWYERS ASK SUPREME COURT TO REVIEW RIVERS ASSEMBLY JUDGEMENT

    CONTEMPT: NATASHA DRAGS AKPABIO, OTHERS TO COURT

    PDP CRISIS: WIKE’S CAMP KICK AS IKIMI PANEL RECOMMENDS ANYANWU’S EXPULSION

    GROUPS VOICE OUT ANGER OVER ALLEGED PLANS TO IMPEACH FUBARA

    WIKE CALLED BAUCHI GOVERNOR, BALA MOHAMMED, A BETRAYER FOR RENEGING ON PLANS AGAINST ATIKU ABUBAKAR

    LAGOS, AFRICA’S SECOND LARGEST CITY ECONOMY AS GDP HITS $259BN