Special counsel in U.S. Justice Department's Trump probes: I will be independent

Jack Smith, named on Friday as special counsel to oversee the Justice Department's investigations into former U.S. President Donald Trump's handling of sensitive documents and the 2020 election aftermath, said he would be fast and independent in his work.

"I will exercise independent judgement and will move the investigations forward expeditiously and thoroughly to whatever outcome the facts and the law dictate," Smith said in a statement released by the department.