Federal investigators probe into the conduct of Jack Smith, the ex-special counsel, amid allegations concerning his management of cases related to Donald Trump
In the politically charged climate of 2025, the U.S. Office of Special Counsel has launched an investigation into Jack Smith, the former special counsel who led high-profile criminal cases against Donald Trump[1][2]. The investigation centres around a potential violation of the Hatch Act, a law that restricts political activities of federal employees[1].
The inquiry follows allegations from Republican senator Tom Cotton and others who accused Smith of partisan conduct and attempting to influence the 2024 election through a rushed prosecution[1]. The investigation is unusual as the most severe penalty possible for a Hatch Act violation is dismissal from federal employment, and Smith left the government at the start of the year[1].
The circumstances surrounding Smith's investigation are unique, given his involvement in politically sensitive investigations of a former president who was recently re-elected. The probe comes amid political tensions around federal prosecutorial conduct, with Republicans pressing for accountability over alleged politicization[1].
The Office of Special Counsel, traditionally tasked with investigating and addressing violations of federal rules about the civil service, has been the subject of controversy itself. The dismissal of Hampton Dellinger, the head of the office, in February, has been a point of contention, as it was not based on the reasons outlined in federal law[1]. At the time of his dismissal, Dellinger was advocating for the reinstatement of thousands of probationary workers who had been fired by the new administration[1].
The investigation into Smith is ongoing while lawyers representing fired or demoted federal employees have complained that the Office of Special Counsel is not fulfilling its traditional role under Mr. Trump[1]. This context makes the probe into Smith’s possible Hatch Act violation unprecedented and politically charged.
The New York Times Company published the first report about this situation in 2025, with the investigation initially being reported by The New York Post[1]. The investigation is a significant development in the ongoing political drama surrounding the Trump administration and its associates.
[1] The New York Times, "Former Trump Investigator Jack Smith Under Investigation for Hatch Act Violation," 2025, https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/01/us/politics/jack-smith-hatch-act-investigation.html
[2] The New York Post, "Exclusive: Jack Smith Under Investigation for Hatch Act Violation," 2025, https://nypost.com/2025/03/01/exclusive-jack-smith-under-investigation-for-hatch-act-violation/
- The ongoing investigation into Jack Smith, a former special counsel, for a potential Hatch Act violation, amid allegations of partisan conduct and influencing the 2024 election, is a significant development in the ongoing political drama surrounding the Trump administration and its associates.
- The unusual probe into Smith, who left the government at the start of the year and faces the most severe penalty possible for a Hatch Act violation being dismissal from federal employment, occurs in a politically charged climate, surrounded by controversy surrounding the Office of Special Counsel and the general news about federal politics and policy-and-legislation.
