Jack Smith is the Special Counsel who investigated the case of former President Donald Trump’s alleged mishandling of classified documents after he left office in 2021.

Smith was appointed by Attorney General Merrick Garland in March 2022 to lead the probe, which resulted in the historic federal indictment of Trump on June 9, 2023.

Trump faces seven counts involving the retention of national defense information, conspiracy and obstruction, according to the indictment unsealed by a federal judge in Miami.

Smith is a veteran prosecutor who previously served as the chief of the Public Integrity Section at the Justice Department, overseeing corruption cases involving public officials.

He also worked as an assistant U.S. attorney in New York and Tennessee, and as a trial attorney in the Criminal Division at the Justice Department.

Smith made a rare public statement on the day of the indictment, noting the gravity of the charges and saying that “the laws that protect our national security apply to everyone.” He declined to take any questions from reporters.