A special counsel will oversee Justice Department's Trump investigations

Attorney General Merrick Garland has named the Justice Department's former public integrity chief Jack Smith to oversee the Justice Department's criminal investigations involving former President Donald Trump.

Smith will oversee investigations of the retention of national defense information at Trump's Mar-A-Lago estate, as well as key aspects of the department's Jan. 6 investigation, according to a senior Justice Department official.

Updated November 18, 2022 at 2:30 PM ET

Smith has most recently served as the chief prosecutor for the special court in The Hague charged with investigating and adjudicating war crimes in Kosovo.

This is a developing story and will be updated. [Copyright 2022 NPR]