After two years of prosecuting individuals for international crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression, Smith was put in charge of the United States Department of Justice’s Public Integrity Section in 2010. He would spend the next five years overseeing a variety of corruption cases, including those against Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell, U.S. Representative Rick Renzi, New York Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, and Jeffrey Sterling, a CIA agent who shared national secrets.
The prosecution of members of both the Republican and Democratic parties not only showed Smith’s impartiality when it comes to building a case, but it also earned him a reputation as someone who is fearless, but fair, and not going to be intimidated and not overly bureaucratic. In short, a public servant who has shown integrity as a consummate professional and one who has gained respect from both sides of the aisle.
