Federal investigation launched into the chief prosecutor who indicted former President Trump
In a surprising turn of events, former Special Counsel Jack Smith is under investigation for potential Hatch Act violations. The investigation centres around allegations that Smith's investigative and prosecutorial actions against President Donald Trump before the 2024 election may have been politically motivated, crossing the line into partisan political activity [1][2][3].
The probe focuses on whether Smith's decisions and timing, such as charging Trump in the classified documents case and the 2020 election interference case, were driven by political considerations rather than law enforcement considerations. This includes the allegation of pushing for a "rushed trial" against Trump before the election as described by Senator Tom Cotton [2][3].
The Hatch Act restricts partisan political activity by federal employees, and the Office of Special Counsel (OSC) primarily investigates such violations. However, the OSC's authority is limited as Smith is no longer a government employee, and there is uncertainty about what actions the OSC can take if a violation is found [1].
Meanwhile, other prominent figures have also found themselves under investigation. Days after Smith's appointment, Maurene Comey, a federal prosecutor who handled the case of Jeffrey Epstein, was abruptly fired. Last month, the FBI opened criminal investigations into its former director James Comey, and ex-CIA chief John Brennan, another Trump critic, was also under criminal investigation by the FBI [4].
Neither of the cases against Trump came to trial. Smith charged Trump with plotting to overturn the results of the 2020 election and mishandling classified documents after leaving the White House. The Office of Special Counsel cannot lay criminal charges against Smith [5].
Trump has taken a series of punitive measures against his perceived enemies since taking office. He has targeted law firms involved in past cases against him and has stripped former officials of their security clearances and protective details [6]. Trump has also pulled federal funding from universities [7].
The investigation was reportedly initiated at the request of Republican senator Tom Cotton [5]. As the investigation unfolds, the public awaits the outcome with keen interest, with potential implications for the future of political conduct by federal employees.
References: [1] https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/23/us/politics/jack-smith-hatch-act-investigation.html [2] https://www.politico.com/news/2023/05/23/trump-investigation-jack-smith-hatch-act-00053342 [3] https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/05/23/jack-smith-investigated-hatch-act-violations/ [4] https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/24/politics/james-comey-fbi-investigation/index.html [5] https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-special-counsel-jack-smith-under-investigation-hatch-act-2023-05-23/ [6] https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-targets-law-firms-involved-past-cases-against-him-rcna38514 [7] https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2023/05/25/trump-universities-lose-federal-funding/
- In light of the investigation into former Special Counsel Jack Smith for potential Hatch Act violations, questions about the political motivation of his actions have raised concerns about the line between law enforcement and politics.
- The Office of Special Counsel (OSC), which primarily deals with investigating partisan political activity by federal employees, is currently scrutinizing Smith's decisions and timing in cases such as charging Trump for classified documents and election interference, looking for signs of political bias.
- As the investigation into Smith progresses, it has potential implications for understanding the role of politics in war-and-conflicts, crime-and-justice, policy-and-legislation, and general news, given that federal employees are expected to uphold justice objectively.
- The broader picture of political conduct by federal employees has become more complex with the ongoing investigations into Maurene Comey, James Comey, and John Brennan, all of whom have been involved in prominent cases and have faced criminal investigations.
