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Donald Trump announcing his presidential candidacy plans in Mar-a-Lago on Tuesday
Photo: ALON SKUY / AFP
The US Department of Justice has hired an independent special prosecutor to investigate former President Donald Trump.
At a press conference, Attorney General Merrick Garland said it was "in the public interest."
The prosecutor Jack Smith should therefore take over the task.
According to the AP news agency, the special counsel will report to Attorney General Garland, who will make the final decision on whether to indict Trump.
The special counsel is said to be in charge of investigating Trump's handling of sensitive government documents.
He is also said to be overseeing a separate investigation.
This is about allegations surrounding the Capitol storm and attempts to hinder the peaceful transfer of power in the 2020 presidential election.
The appointment of an independent special counsel is likely to pursue the goal of weakening allegations of political instrumentalization of the Justice Department.
The announcement came just three days after Trump announced he would run for president again in 2024.
In early August, the Federal Police FBI searched Trump's property in the US state of Florida.
The FBI confiscated various classified documents, some with the highest level of secrecy.
According to the law, this material should have been given to the National Archives.
By keeping the documents in his private home after Trump left office, he could have made himself liable to prosecution.
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kko/AFP/AP/Reuters/dpa