Special Counsel Jack Smith formally withdrew from the Mar-a-Lago documents case on Friday, referring the ongoing prosecution of two of President-elect Trump's co-defendants to federal prosecutors in the Southern District of Florida.
In November, Smith formally dropped charges in both of Trump's federal cases and dismissed them without prejudice, citing Justice Department policy barring the prosecution of sitting presidents.
The move swiftly ended Trump's pending election interference lawsuit, but while the Mar-a-Lago documents case is over for Trump, it continues for his two co-defendants.
President Trump's valet Walt Nauta and Mar-a-Lago property manager Carlos de Oliveira are accused of a widespread conspiracy to hide archives from federal investigators and Trump's then-lawyers during his presidency. He was indicted along with the president-elect for the crime.
The two are charged with obstruction of official business for making false statements to investigators. The two also face various charges related to document concealment.
Investigators found about 300 documents marked as classified among the thousands of pages of presidential records that Trump took with him when he left office, but the practice of keeping such records at the National Archives Violated.
The boxes were moved from room to room at President Trump's Florida mansion, sometimes being stored on a ballroom stage or in a bathroom, and in some cases their contents spilled on the floor.
The case is currently pending in the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals.
Smith challenged a decision by Judge Eileen Cannon to throw out the case, ruling that Smith was illegally appointed.
The Justice Department claims Cannon dismissed the case contrary to 50 years of precedent regarding special counsel, and the appeal continues.
