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U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland has tapped a veteran prosecutor as the special counsel to preside over the criminal investigations into Donald Trump.
While Trump called the move "appalling", former Vice President Mike Pence urged caution.
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MERRICK GARLAND, Attorney General:
It is in the public interest to appoint the special counsel.
Such an appointment underscores the department's commitment to both independence and accountability in particularly sensitive matters.
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Garland has appointed Jack Smith, a veteran prosecutor, to oversee the Trump investigations.
They include probes into the Mar-a-Lago saga and the lead-up to the January 6 riot.
Once a line prosecutor in New York, Smith also headed the Justice Department's anti-corruption unit.
In 2018 he became the chief prosecutor at the International Court of Justice in the Hague and has since been examining war atrocities.
In a statement after his appointment, Smith vowed to "exercise independent judgment" and expedite the investigations, including potential prosecutions.
The move came at a politically sensitive time when Trump and Biden are both potential contenders of the 2024 presidential race.
On the opposing side, Trump dished it all right back.
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DONALD TRUMP, Former United States President:
The corrupted and highly political Justice Department just appointed a super radical-left special counsel, better referred to as a special prosecutor, to start the process all over again.
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Experts say it's time to brace for a barrage of inquiries.
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MIKE BALSAMO, Associated Press Reporter:
We don't know exactly why Merrick Garland has chosen now to name a special counsel in this investigation.
It is likely to raise some questions among both Republicans and Democrats in Congress about just how fast the Justice Department is moving on these investigations.
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Responding to the DOJ's surprise move, former Vice President Mike Pence urged the department to think it through.
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MIKE PENCE, Former U.S. Vice President:
I would hope the Justice Department will give careful consideration before they take any additional steps.
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