Special Counsel Jack Smith Drops Federal Cases Against President-Elect Trump

Citing constitutional limits on prosecuting a sitting president, Smith moves to dismiss cases on election interference and classified documents.

Special Counsel Jack Smith requested the dismissal of two federal criminal cases against Donald Trump, citing Department of Justice policy that bars prosecuting a sitting president.
The dismissed cases include allegations of election interference in 2020 and mishandling classified documents, both of which faced legal and procedural challenges earlier this year.
Smith emphasized that the decision to drop charges does not reflect the strength of the evidence but rather constitutional constraints on prosecuting a president while in office.
Trump’s co-defendants in the classified documents case, Walt Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira, will still face legal proceedings as they are not protected by presidential immunity.
State-level criminal and civil cases against Trump, including the Georgia election case and the New York criminal conviction, face delays but remain active, with some proceedings potentially postponed until after his presidency.