Earlier Friday, Attorney General Merrick Garland announced a special counsel who will oversee the investigations into former President Donald Trump’s storing of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago coupled with the events surrounding the January 6 Capitol riot, Raw Story reports. That announcement coincides with Trump’s announcement that he intends to run for president in 2024.

Garland has appointed Jack Smith, who is the former chief prosecutor for the special court in the Hague, where he investigated war crimes in Kosovo, CNN reports. He noted that Smith “has built a reputation as an impartial and determined prosecutor.”

And there are reports that Trump’s lawyers are “dreading” the appointment of a special counsel. CNN’s Paula Reid, when asked why the lawyers were worried about a special counsel, said this is because it’s a clear signal that the investigations into Trump are intensifying.

“There’s a lot of outstanding questions in that investigation, including the sorting through of classified material, of privilege, personal material … We knew this was going to take a while, but by appointing a special counsel, they have sent a message that — particularly the Mar-a-Lago investigation and January 6 — they’re going to continue, they are possibly even ramping up,” Reid said.

Garland’s reasons for appointing a special counsel are something he believes is in the best interest of the public now that Trump and President Joe Biden have announced their intentions to run in 2024, although Biden hasn’t yet officially declared he will run.

“Based on recent developments, including the former president’s announcement that he is a candidate for president in the next election and the sitting president’s stated intention to be a candidate as well, I have concluded that it is in the public interest to appoint a special counsel.”

Smith’s job will now be dedicated to determining whether the ex-president, who keeps complaining about being a victim of political persecution, should be charged in connection with either investigation.

But this is a tricky proposition now that Trump has thrown his MAGA hat into the presidential ring because indicting him now is a more delicate matter.

Appointing a special counsel to oversee the investigation may help protect Garland, who is, of course, a Biden appointee, from charges that the probe is politically motivated.

As special counsel, Smith will still report to Garland, as he is ultimately, the one in charge of deciding whether charges will be brought.

But here’s what’s weird: Even if Trump is charged, he can still run for president. There’s nothing in U.S.law that prohibits a person charged with or convicted of a crime from doing so.

During his time in office, Trump was investigated by special counsel Robert Mueller over alleged obstruction of justice and possible election collusion with Russia. However, no charges were brought against him.

More than a few analysts in Washington regard Trump’s early announcement as an attempt to circumvent potential criminal charges. He was, of course, impeached twice — first for trying to dig political dirt on Biden via Ukraine and second for allegedly instigating the January 6, attack on the Capitol by a mob of his supporters. He was acquitted by the Senate, however.

I’m hoping Garland will ramp up efforts to indict him here. I’m worried that as we get deeper into the 2024 election cycle it may be more difficult for him to do so. At least this sounds a little more promising and I’m glad Trump’s attorneys are worried.