With Republicans in control of both Houses of Congress starting in January, Jack Smith could come under scrutiny for the extraordinary steps he took to prosecute President-elect Donald Trump.
Over the course of two years, Smith - who was handpicked by the Biden Justice Department - furiously pushed to convict Trump in two separate federal cases. Neither of Smith's efforts bore fruit, leaving the prosecutor exposed after Trump's stunning political comeback.
In one of his most baldly partisan moves, Smith released an unusually detailed filing against Trump in October. Smith was widely accused of attempting to derail Trump's re-election hopes by trying him in the court of public opinion.
Although Smith has never said so publicly, his efforts against Trump were contingent on the outcome of the election, with Trump unlikely to ever face trial if he emerged victorious.
In the wake of Trump's stunning win, Smith has abandoned his twin efforts to prosecute Trump. Even in defeat, Smith has maintained legal pretenses, saying his reversal is based on Justice Department policy against prosecuting sitting presidents - and not anything to do with politics.
With Smith defeated, Trump now has an opportunity to turn the tables.
Republican allies of Trump have accused Smith of a range of abuses, including the manipulation of classified documents seized in the 2022 FBI raid of Mar-A-Lago.
Smith also raised eyebrows by beginning his Florida documents investigation with a grand jury in Washington D.C., where a judge allowed Smith to pierce Trump's attorney-client privilege.
Smith's unusual use of an out-of-district grand jury faced pushback from the trial judge, Aileen Cannon, who rebuked Smith at various points for his belligerent handling of the case before dismissing the charges outright on constitutional grounds.
There are also questions about whether and to what extent Smith coordinated against Trump with other Democratically aligned prosecutors, like Georgia's Fani Willis.
House Republicans like Jim Jordan (R-Oh.) have already ordered Smith to preserve his records, warning he could be called to testify before Congress.
While Smith failed in his effort to derail Trump's campaign, the prosecutor is expected to release a report that could provide partisan fodder for Trump's opponents heading into his next White House term.
Trump has said he will fire Smith on day one, but Smith plans to pre-empt that by stepping down before Trump's inauguration.
