Attorney General Merrick Garland has named a special counsel to oversee the entirety of the Justice Department's criminal investigation into the retention of national defense information at former President Donald Trump's residence at Mar-a-Lago and key aspects of the Jan. 6 investigation. "I'm here today to announce the appointment of the special counsel in connection with two ongoing criminal investigations that have received significant public attention," Garland said. Garland announced at a news conference Friday that John "Jack" Smith will be the special counsel tasked with investigating and deciding whether charges should be brought. He called Smith an "impartial and determined prosecutor." Smith is currently the chief prosecutor for the special counsel in the Hague. As special counsel, Smith will begin immediately to oversee two probes. The first is whether anyone or any entity "unlawfully interfered with the transfer of power following the 2020 presidential election or the ce
