Jack Smith hailed as he invokes Hur report that cleared Biden but says Trump 'obstructed justice' in classified documents case

WASHINGTON, DC: In court filings submitted on Monday, February 26, in the federal classified materials prosecution against former President Trump, Special Counsel Jack Smith cited Robert Hur's report regarding President Biden's handling of secret material.

Smith's submission refutes the assertions made by Trump's legal team that the former president is the subject of a biased prosecution. Hur, a special counsel appointed to supervise an inquiry into Biden's handling of secret materials, was cited by Smith in support of his claim that the two investigations are essentially unrelated in scope.

Jack Smith refers to Hur's report in Trump's classified documents case

"Most notably, Trump, unlike Biden, is alleged to have engaged in extensive and repeated efforts to obstruct justice and thwart the return of documents bearing classification markings. And the evidence concerning the two men’s intent—whether they knowingly possessed and willfully retained such documents—is also starkly different, as reflected in the Hur Report’s conclusion," Assistant Special Counsel David Harbach wrote.

Hur found that the President's possession of sensitive material at his home and office was improper but not unlawful, and he absolved Biden of any criminal charges. Hur's assessment had some extremely damaging evaluations of Biden's health, characterizing him as an elderly man with weak memory. Hur stated that he didn't think a jury could find Biden guilty based on such descriptions.

Biden has vehemently refuted the depiction, as has the White House and his 2024 campaign.

Smith, who, like Hur, was nominated by Attorney General Merrick Garland, whom Biden selected to head the Justice Department, contended that Trump's transgressions were deliberate and willful and included disclosing sensitive material to unapproved parties.

Federal prosecutors contend that Trump's deliberate retention is the reason the FBI had to investigate his Mar-a-Lago property in Florida, finding boxes of unsecured sensitive papers scattered around the facility.

However, Biden's staff claimed to have worked closely with investigators when the secret documents, which were discovered at his Delaware home and former Washington office and date back to his days as a senator and vice president, were discovered. In his brief, Smith contended that Trump's analysis of the two instances did not find any person in a comparable legal situation.

Smith wrote in the filing, "The defendants have not identified anyone who has engaged in a remotely similar suite of willful and deceitful criminal conduct and not been prosecuted. Nor could they. Indeed, the comparators on which they rely are readily distinguishable."

Internet reacts to Jack Smith invoking Hur report in Trump classified documents case

Many people on social media platforms reacted as Jack Smith invoked Hur's report in the Trump classified documents case. A user on X said, "Turn it back on them, using Hur’s own conclusions. Brilliant" while one added, "Brilliant!! Trump appointee Hur said it, special counsel Jack Smith will use it. Hahahah love it."

A user also stated, "Special Counsel thinks of everything. Brilliant move!" whereas one mentioned, "Just the fact that he flat-out refused to turn over the documents, even going so far as to hide them and tamper with video recordings that showed the boxes being moved... that's criminal behavior!"

Another person wrote, "Smith is just basically submitting Hur's reporting of the fact that Trump's actions are a crime."

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