Who is Jack Smith, the special prosecutor tapped to oversee DOJ's Trump probes?

Attorney General Merrick Garland on Friday tapped Jack Smith, a longtime federal prosecutor and former head of the Justice Department's public integrity section, as special counsel to oversee an investigation into former President Donald Trump’s handling of classified materials after leaving office.

"Mr. Smith is the right choice to complete these manners in an even-handed and urgent manner," Garland said at a press conference Friday.

Smith, who will begin as special counsel immediately, has served since 2018 as chief prosecutor in International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Hague, Netherlands, where he was tasked with investigating and adjudicating war crimes in Kosovo.

Prior to his time in the Hague, Smith served in multiple roles with the Justice Department, including as an assistant U.S. attorney in the Eastern District of New York and as first assistant U.S. attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee.

In 2015, Smith took the helm of the department's public integrity unit, where he oversaw high-profile cases that often targeted elected officials. Smith earned a reputation as an aggressive prosecutor attempting to revamp the office after a series of embarrassing missteps.

"When it comes to investigating allegations of sophisticated federal criminal matters, Jack Smith is the gold standard," Edward J. Loya Jr., a former colleague in the public integrity section at the DOJ, told ABC News.

"He brings a tremendous amount of judgment, experience, and energy to the job and inspires those who work for him to do their best work. I am confident he will take on this role without fear or favor," Loya said.