Former special counsel Jack Smith warns that rule of law is 'under attack'

"Smith devoted his career to public service, as a prosecutor who took on public corruption, war crimes and ultimately the former and now current president of the United States. That last job brought threats that required around-the-clock security and hostility from Trump, who has said he wants to throw Smith in jail or deport him. (The Justice Department dropped both of Smith's criminal cases, as a matter of policy, after Trump won the 2024 election.)"

"At the start of his remarks, Smith said he would not discuss politics, and he never referred to Trump by name. Instead, he delivered a call to defend the rule of law, punctuated by recent examples of its erosion. For Smith, the headlines tell part of the story. Already this year, career prosecutors in Manhattan have quit en masse after DOJ leaders sought to walk away from a corruption case against New York Mayor Eric Adams."

Jack Smith warned that the rule of law is under unprecedented attack, citing DOJ credibility loss and dismissals of career public servants. He devoted his career to public service as a prosecutor handling public corruption, war crimes, and the prosecution of a former president, which produced threats requiring around-the-clock security and hostile calls for his imprisonment or deportation. The Justice Department dropped both of his criminal cases after the 2024 election. Smith declined to discuss politics or name the former president while urging defense of legal norms and citing examples of erosion, including mass Manhattan prosecutor resignations and White House actions targeting law firms.

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