Investigation initiates regarding the special counsel who indicted Trump, according to a recent report about US authorities.
The Office of Special Counsel (OSC) has launched an investigation into former Special Counsel Jack Smith, following a referral by Republican Senator Tom Cotton. The probe centers on whether Smith engaged in prohibited partisan conduct during his investigation of President Donald Trump, with potential implications for DOJ prosecutorial conduct and election interference concerns.
The investigation was publicly confirmed by the OSC on August 3, 2025, following Sen. Cotton’s referral alleging that Smith acted as a political actor rather than a neutral official. Smith was appointed by then-Attorney General Merrick Garland in November 2022 to lead probes related to Trump’s handling of classified documents and efforts to overturn the 2020 election.
Both investigations led to criminal charges against Trump, who has denied all wrongdoing. However, the OSC’s potential actions against Smith are unclear, given his status as a former government employee. The Department of Justice (DOJ) is separately investigating Smith and other prosecutors as part of a "Weaponization Working Group" led by former interim U.S. Attorney Ed Martin.
Smith’s cases against Trump were dismissed after the 2024 election due to DOJ policy against prosecuting a sitting president, and he resigned in January 2025 shortly before Trump returned to office. Notably, Smith resigned before Trump could fulfil his campaign pledge to fire him.
The OSC, an independent federal agency enforcing the Hatch Act, mainly focuses on government employee conduct. Its authority over former employees like Smith is limited. The prosecutorial decisions made by Smith do not typically fall under the OSC’s remit.
The broader political context includes criticism and scrutiny of the administration’s handling of sensitive matters and changes in OSC leadership under the current Trump presidency.
Meanwhile, last month, the FBI opened criminal investigations into former director of the FBI James Comey and ex-CIA chief John Brennan. Days later, Maurene Comey, a federal prosecutor who handled the case of Jeffrey Epstein, was abruptly fired. Maurene Comey, the daughter of James Comey, has been linked to Donald Trump.
Trump has taken punitive measures against his perceived enemies since taking office, targeting law firms involved in past cases against him and pulling federal funding from universities. The most severe penalty under the Hatch Act, termination of employment, would not apply to Smith as he has already resigned. The Office of Special Counsel cannot lay criminal charges against Smith.
The investigation into Jack Smith adds to the ongoing political drama surrounding the Trump administration and the DOJ. The outcome and specific consequences remain uncertain, given the overlapping DOJ inquiries and Smith’s status as a former employee.
- The ongoing investigation by the Office of Special Counsel (OSC) into former Special Counsel Jack Smith, following a referral by Senator Tom Cotton, has brought questions about policy-and-legislation and politics, specifically whether Smith engaged in prohibited partisan conduct during his investigation of President Donald Trump.
- The OSC's investigation into Smith, although it may not have immediate consequences given his status as a former government employee, adds to the broader political context of scrutiny over the administration's handling of sensitive matters, changes in OSC leadership, and the general-news surrounding the Trump presidency.
- The criminal investigations into former director of the FBI James Comey, ex-CIA chief John Brennan, and the subsequent firing of Maurene Comey, a federal prosecutor linked to Donald Trump, have further fueled crime-and-justice news and the ongoing political drama surrounding the Trump administration, with implications extending beyond just the DOJ.
