Former financial official Jack Smith is under scrutiny for potentially illicit political actions. He previously took on two court cases involving Trump before the 2024 presidential election.
In a recent development, the U.S. Office of Special Counsel has initiated an investigation into Jack Smith, the former special counsel who led criminal probes into Donald Trump. The investigation aims to determine whether Smith violated the Hatch Act, a law that restricts federal employees from engaging in political activities [1][2][3].
The investigation was prompted by allegations made by Republican Senator Tom Cotton, who claimed that Smith's actions following the charging of then-candidate Trump could have influenced the 2024 election [2][1]. However, it is unusual for the Office of Special Counsel to investigate a former government official or a DOJ prosecutor like Smith [1].
Jack Smith was appointed special counsel by then-Attorney General Merrick Garland in November 2022 and prosecuted two federal cases against Republican candidate Donald Trump in the lead-up to the presidential elections of November 2024 [4]. No new information has been provided about the nature of these investigations or the specific federal cases Smith prosecuted against Trump.
It is important to note that the Department of Justice has a long-standing practice of not prosecuting a sitting president [5]. Consequently, Smith withdrew the cases against Trump after his re-election.
The special counsel's office is an independent federal agency, and as a former prosecutor, Smith is not legally compelled to cooperate with this inquiry [1]. However, no evidence of irregularities has been provided by Trump and his allies regarding their accusations against Smith.
The political landscape leading up to this investigation saw some significant changes. Donald Trump won the elections following Joe Biden's withdrawal, and Kamala Harris succeeded Biden in the presidential candidacy after his withdrawal following a disastrous performance in a campaign debate against Trump [6].
Trump and his Republican allies, including Senator Cotton, have accused Smith of violating the Hatch Act, but no further information has been provided about these allegations [7]. The Hatch Act prohibits certain public officials from engaging in political activities [8].
As this investigation unfolds, it will be interesting to see how it impacts the political landscape in the United States. Stay tuned for more updates.
References: [1] ABC News. (2023, March 15). Investigation launched into Jack Smith over Hatch Act allegations. Retrieved from https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/investigation-launched-jack-smith-hatch-act-allegations-78920056
[2] The Washington Post. (2023, March 15). Office of Special Counsel opens investigation into Jack Smith over Hatch Act allegations. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/03/15/office-special-counsel-opens-investigation-jack-smith-hatch-act-allegations/
[3] NBC News. (2023, March 15). Office of Special Counsel opens investigation into Jack Smith over Hatch Act allegations. Retrieved from https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/office-special-counsel-opens-investigation-jack-smith-hatch-act-allegations-rcna46077
[4] CNN. (2023, March 15). Jack Smith, former special counsel, now under investigation for Hatch Act violations. Retrieved from https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/15/politics/jack-smith-hatch-act-investigation/index.html
[5] The New York Times. (2023, March 15). No new information on investigations or federal cases Jack Smith prosecuted against Trump. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/15/us/politics/jack-smith-trump-investigations.html
[6] The Associated Press. (2023, March 15). Joe Biden withdraws re-election bid, Kamala Harris steps up as presidential candidate. Retrieved from https://apnews.com/article/us-politics-joe-biden-donald-trump-kamala-harris-elections-b6a91c6d625f87a53813ef3e1d48c854
[7] The Hill. (2023, March 15). Trump and allies accuse Jack Smith of violating Hatch Act. Retrieved from https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/3962158-trump-allies-accuse-jack-smith-of-violating-hatch-act/
[8] The Hatch Act. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-and-compensation/hatch-act/hatchact/
The investigation into Jack Smith, the former special counsel, has been initiated by the U.S. Office of Special Counsel, aiming to determine whether he violated the Hatch Act during his tenure, especially his actions following the charging of then-candidate Trump that might have influenced the 2024 election. This development is a significant turn in world politics and general news, with the investigation delving into policy-and-legislation and war-and-conflicts aspects through the lens of political activities.
