(US, 3rd) The US Office of Special Counsel (OSC) has officially launched an investigation into former Special Counsel Jack Smith to determine whether he violated the Hatch Act. Smith was responsible for two criminal investigations into Trump after Trump's first term as president.
According to Reuters, the OSC confirmed that it is investigating whether Jack Smith violated the Hatch Act, which prohibits federal employees from abusing their official authority by engaging in political activities. This investigation was initiated after a request by Republican Senator Cotton.
The OSC is an independent oversight agency responsible for examining the conduct of federal employees but does not have the authority to bring criminal charges. Its functions differ from those of the Office of Special Counsel in the Department of Justice, where Smith previously worked, as the latter has the authority to prosecute federal crimes.
The New York Post previously revealed that the OSC investigation comes as the Trump camp continues to intensify efforts to seek accountability for what it views as "political persecutors." Smith resigned as Special Counsel in January of this year, after Trump won the presidential election, and has yet to comment on the investigation.
This week, Cotton wrote on social media platform X that Smith acted with "clear intent" when handling the Trump cases, aiming to undermine Trump's presidential campaign. He criticized Smith as a "political activist disguised as a public official" and asserted that such "unprecedented interference in the 2024 election" must be investigated.
As a former prosecutor at the International Criminal Court, Smith twice brought criminal charges against Trump: one for illegally possessing classified national documents and the other for attempting to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.
However, both cases were stalled before reaching trial due to procedural delays and multiple challenges, ultimately becoming deadlocked after the US Supreme Court’s conservative majority ruled that former presidents enjoy broad criminal immunity.
After Trump's election victory, Smith invoked the Justice Department's policy of "not prosecuting a sitting president" and withdrew the charges. However, in a report released in January of this year, Smith stated that the evidence he had "would have been sufficient to convict Trump in court."
According to Reuters, the OSC confirmed that it is investigating whether Jack Smith violated the Hatch Act, which prohibits federal employees from abusing their official authority by engaging in political activities. This investigation was initiated after a request by Republican Senator Cotton.
The OSC is an independent oversight agency responsible for examining the conduct of federal employees but does not have the authority to bring criminal charges. Its functions differ from those of the Office of Special Counsel in the Department of Justice, where Smith previously worked, as the latter has the authority to prosecute federal crimes.
The New York Post previously revealed that the OSC investigation comes as the Trump camp continues to intensify efforts to seek accountability for what it views as "political persecutors." Smith resigned as Special Counsel in January of this year, after Trump won the presidential election, and has yet to comment on the investigation.
This week, Cotton wrote on social media platform X that Smith acted with "clear intent" when handling the Trump cases, aiming to undermine Trump's presidential campaign. He criticized Smith as a "political activist disguised as a public official" and asserted that such "unprecedented interference in the 2024 election" must be investigated.
As a former prosecutor at the International Criminal Court, Smith twice brought criminal charges against Trump: one for illegally possessing classified national documents and the other for attempting to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.
However, both cases were stalled before reaching trial due to procedural delays and multiple challenges, ultimately becoming deadlocked after the US Supreme Court’s conservative majority ruled that former presidents enjoy broad criminal immunity.
After Trump's election victory, Smith invoked the Justice Department's policy of "not prosecuting a sitting president" and withdrew the charges. However, in a report released in January of this year, Smith stated that the evidence he had "would have been sufficient to convict Trump in court."