![]() ![]() This time, though, Smith will have the benefit of understanding Mueller’s pitfalls. The takeover ruffled some feathers among the prosecutors initially assigned to those investigations, according to officials who asked not to be named. Mueller’s investigation subsumed investigations being conducted by federal prosecutors in Alexandria, Va., into potential foreign influence on the Trump campaign, including a probe into Trump adviser Michael Flynn over his ties to Turkey. Smith’s staffing choices will be closely scrutinized, and whoever he chooses to do the day-to-day work of the investigation will be prepared for a Trumpian onslaught.īeyond Attorney General Merrick Garland’s public salutes Friday to the existing prosecution and investigative teams, there were indications that the bulk of the career personnel currently pursuing those issues are expected to remain in place and simply report to Smith. He and his allies slammed Mueller - a registered Republican - and his team as anti-Trump liberals, seizing on the political donations some of his top aides had made to Democrats. Trump, while in office, launched an all-out public relations assault against Mueller and at times attempted to squeeze him from within the administration. In addition, Smith can learn from the obstacles Mueller faced, and the resistance Mueller encountered from a Republican-led Congress rallying around Trump to inform his tactics. Mueller probed a newly inaugurated Trump who had the power of the presidency and Justice Department at his disposal, something Trump won’t have as a former president. ![]() Smith’s greatest asset may be the one Mueller never had: a recent special counsel probe of Trump himself. Here’s POLITICO’s look at the obstacles and opportunities Smith faces as he dives into the volatile world of Trump investigations: Mueller memory He also has a long history of bringing corruption cases to trial and conviction, a credential that may have made him an attractive choice for Garland - and an ominous one for Trump. And his low profile may make him a harder target for Trump’s allies to undermine. Smith, 53, seems unlikely to face the kinds of criticism Mueller did about his best years being behind him and allegedly allowing his deputies to play outsized roles in decision-making. He was 73 at the time of his special counsel appointment and 75 when his report was delivered. ![]() Mueller’s lengthier record of government service proved to be a double-edged sword. After his arraignment, Trump assailed Smith as a "deranged lunatic" during a campaign-style speech at his New Jersey golf club.But Smith has almost three decades of prosecutorial experience, as a lawyer for state and federal governments as well as two tours as an international war crimes prosecutor at the Hague. Trump and his defenders have nevertheless attacked Smith before and after the federal grand jury returned its indictment. Smith took the helm of the ongoing criminal investigation into the classified documents at Mar-a-Lago, and another criminal probe into the events surrounding the Jan. The attorney general, who was picked by President Joe Biden, said at the time that he took that step so that prosecutors could "make decisions indisputably guided only by the facts and the law." Garland appointed Smith in November, days after Trump announced he would run for president in the 2024 election. He declined another request to explain why the unprecedented federal indictment of a former president was the "best and most appropriate step" to take. "My role is completely consistent with the regulations that set forth responsibilities to the attorney general, under the special counsel regulations, and I followed those regulations," he said. Garland was also asked to detail whether he had a role in the indictment process. The former president pleaded not guilty to the charges during his arraignment Tuesday in federal court in Miami. Personal Loans for 670 Credit Score or Lower Personal Loans for 580 Credit Score or Lower Best Debt Consolidation Loans for Bad Credit ![]()
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