Prosecutor drops federal criminal cases against Trump

The special prosecutor who brought two key criminal cases against Donald Trump has asked judges to drop both of them after his victory in the 2024 presidential election.

Special counsel Jack Smith was overseeing cases accusing Trump of trying to overturn the 2020 election results and improperly storing classified documents after he left office.

Trump had pleaded not guilty in both cases.

In new documents filed on Monday, Mr Smith said the cases should be closed because of a Justice Department policy that bans the prosecution of a sitting president.