Why did Merrick Garland appoint a special counsel to investigate Trump?

Garland claims the former president forced his hand by announcing his 2024 ambitions

Trump, Garland, and Smith.
(Image credit: Illustrated | AP Images, Getty Images)

In the wake of former President Donald Trump's announcement that he will seek the presidency again in 2024, Attorney General Merrick Garland announced on Nov. 18 the appointment of a special counsel to head the Department of Justice investigations into the 45th president.

Jack Smith, a veteran DOJ attorney and international lawyer, was tapped to lead two probes into Trump's alleged wrongdoings, and there is no set date for when he will finish that work. Here's everything you need to know about the special counsel, the investigations, and what's likely to happen next:

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David Faris

David Faris is an associate professor of political science at Roosevelt University and the author of It's Time to Fight Dirty: How Democrats Can Build a Lasting Majority in American Politics. He is a frequent contributor to Informed Comment, and his work has appeared in the Chicago Sun-Times, The Christian Science Monitor, and Indy Week.