Washington, DC, United States

Special counsel Jack Smith of the US Department of Justice (DOJ) has planned to end his two prosecutions of United States President-elect Donald Trump and resign before the 2024 presidential election winner takes office, the New York Times reported citing people familiar with his plans. 

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He is planning to finish his work and resign along with other members of his team before January. 

Last year, Smith indicted Trump for allegedly plotting to overturn his 2020 election defeat, and also for conspiring to hide classified documents. 

Also read: What will happen to Trump's criminal cases as he wins US presidential election?

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However, neither of these cases made it to trial before Trump's election win last week, which made it impossible for Smith to continue.

According to the Justice Department policies, it is prohibited to prosecute sitting presidents, and Trump has vowed to fire Smith within “two seconds” of becoming president again.

The sources said that Smith's goal is to not leave any significant part of his work for others to complete, adding that he will get ahead of Trump's promise to fire him within “two seconds” of being sworn in.

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However, Smith's office is still building its plan for how to end the cases, and there are chances that unforeseen circumstances, including judicial rulings or decisions by other government officials, could alter his timeline. 

Watch | Department Of Justice To Drop Federal Cases Against Trump

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But, Smith is trying to finish his work and leave before Trump returns to office, sources told NYT. 

As Smith gets ready for his last act as special counsel, his ultimate audience will not be the jury, but the public.

Meanwhile, several officials said that Smith has no plans of staying any longer than he has to. He also told career prosecutors and FBI agents on his team to start planning their departures over the next few weeks. 

(With inputs from agencies)