Jack Smith, the longtime prosecutor tasked with investigating former president Trump, has been known to work well in the political spotlight. He handles it by tuning out the attention. Smith has already started facing attacks from the right. Trump alone has blasted out criticism of him on Truth Social 20 separate times. In his latest broadside, the former president called Smith a "highly partisan Trump hater." The former president's conservative media allies have also suggested Smith may be politically biased based on his wife's history of donating to Democrats, as well as her work producing a documentary about Michelle Obama. There are no records of Smith himself making a political contribution and those who know him described him as apolitical, reports Semafor. Kelly Currie, a former prosecutor who has worked with Smith, said he wasn't politically motivated at all. He added that Smith is prepared for the role of special counsel thanks to his experience leading the Justice Department's Public Integrity Section, where he oversaw cases involving high-profile politicians from both parties.
Smith is overseeing investigations into Trump's handling of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago and aspects of the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection criminal inquiry. George Washington University law Prof. Jonathan Turley, a Fox News regular who famously called Trump's second impeachment "unconstitutional," has described Smith as a "solid appointment." He has also been complimented by a Republican source who recalled his decision not to bring charges against former GOP House Majority Leader Tom DeLay during the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal. Smith has some advantages, but a Republican-controlled House could try to disrupt his work. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), who is expected to lead the powerful House Judiciary Committee, was quick to point out that Smith was interviewed by Republicans as part of the investigation into the Internal Revenue Service scrutiny of conservative groups. Smith testified that his office discussed opening investigations into politically active nonprofits after a meeting with then-IRS chief Lois Lerner.