Attorney General Defends Jack Smith, Declines to Comment on Trump Indictment

Speaking to reporters at a Justice Department meeting on combating violent crime, Attorney General Merrick Garland defends Special Counsel Jack Smith, who he appointed to investigate former President Trump's handling of classified documents after he left office in 2021, calling Smith "a veteran career prosecutor" who has "assembled a group of experienced and talented prosecutors and agents who share his commitment to integrity and the rule of law." However, the attorney general declines to say when he learned or decision to indict the former president or to offer any comments on the case. close