Special Counsel Jack Smith has officially requested the dismissal of the federal election interference case against President-elect Donald Trump in Washington, D.C. While anticipated, this action represents a major turning point in a case that has garnered significant attention over the past two years.
Smith’s decision aligns with the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) established policy that a sitting president cannot face prosecution. The motion, submitted to Judge Tanya Chutkan, pertains to the superseding indictment accusing Trump of efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.
“This case never went to trial and, with Donald Trump now set to assume office, Smith has formally requested the charges be dropped,” reported legal analyst David Font. “The judge’s approval is required before the dismissal becomes official, which could happen as soon as today.”
The election interference case was among the most high-profile legal challenges Donald Trump faced after leaving office. The indictment accused Trump of attempting to overturn the 2020 election results through various methods, but the case never advanced to trial. Despite extensive investigations involving thousands of pages of evidence and hundreds of hours of witness interviews, Smith’s motion to dismiss is only six pages long.
Smith is also expected to address the status of the classified documents case in Florida. Although that case was dismissed earlier this summer, Smith had appealed the decision to the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta. Sources suggest he is now preparing to file a motion to formally close that case as well, signaling the conclusion of his high-profile probes into Trump.
As Trump prepares to take office, the Department of Justice is winding down its investigations into the president-elect, adhering to legal precedent. The dismissal request for the D.C. case marks a significant step toward the end of Smith’s nearly two-year tenure as special counsel.
