The former president of the United States, Donald Trump, defended this Friday that the appointment of a special prosecutor, to lead the investigations into himself, is “political”, while the current head of state, Joe Biden, revealed that he was not involved. in the decision.
In statements to Fox, the Republican tycoon, who announced his re-candidate for the White House three days ago, in the 2024 presidential elections, considered this appointment “unfair” and “political.”
For Trump, this is “the worst politicization of justice” in US history, adding that he will not participate in the investigations.
“It’s a shame, they’re doing this just because I’m leading the polls,” added the former president, also encouraging Republicans to “stand up and fight.”
On the other hand, the spokesperson for Casa Banca, Karine Jean-Pierre, pointed out that the current US head of state, Joe Biden, was not notified in advance of the appointment of a special prosecutor to conduct the investigations affecting the former president. . . .
“The Department of Justice makes decisions about its criminal investigations independently. We were not notified in advance, “he stressed, in statements to journalists, assuring that the US president was not” involved “in the decision.
The US attorney general appointed a special counsel on Friday to oversee investigations into former US President Donald Trump, three days after his presidential candidacy was announced.
Given recent events, including the announcement of the former president’s candidacy in the upcoming presidential election and the incumbent president’s intention to run, I have decided that it is in the public interest to appoint special counsel,” Merrick Garland said at a press conference.
Garland entrusted this mission to Jack Smith, a former Hague prosecutor at the Special Court for Kosovo.
The Justice Department has described Smith as a “registered independent” in an effort to defuse any political influence attacks.
Jack Smith stressed, for his part, that he intends to conduct the investigations “independently and in the best traditions of the Department of Justice.”
“I will render an independent judgment and conduct prompt and thorough investigations to the outcome as dictated by the facts and the law,” Smith said in a statement issued by the Justice Department.
The investigations focus on the presence of confidential documents in the residence of the Republican magnate in Floridabut this special prosecutor will also oversee key aspects of a separate investigation involving the invasion of the Capitol on January 6, 2021 and Trump’s efforts to annul the 2020 presidential results, the Associated Press (AP) agency reported.
The move, released just three days after Trump formally announced his candidacy for the 2024 presidential election, is an acknowledgment of the political implications of two investigations involving not only a former president, but also a current White House candidate. .
While this appointment puts a new supervisor at the helm of the investigation, the special counsel will report to Garland, who has the final say on whether or not to press charges.
Garland has repeatedly defended his unique focus on facts, evidence and the law in Justice Department decisions, as well as his determination to restore the agency’s political independence after the turbulent years of the Trump administration.
Nor does there appear to be an overt conflict, unlike what prompted the latest appointment of a special counsel to handle Trump-related investigations.
Trump’s Justice Department has named former FBI Director Robert Mueller as special counsel to lead the investigation into possible coordination between Russia and Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign.
Regarding this process, Donald Trump stressed this Friday that Robert Mueller “has not found any conspiracy”, adding that his “innocence has been proven” in the last six years.
Source: Observadora
