The U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) has opened an investigation into former special counsel Jack Smith, who may have unlawfully targeted President Donald Trump.
The OSC has Smith under a microscope regarding the possibility that he violated the Hatch Act which says government workers are not allowed to take part in certain political activities, Fox News reported on Saturday, noting it received confirmation of the probe from the office and that Smith is not being criminally investigated.
The OSC is a government watchdog that operates independently as a federal investigative and prosecutorial office. In July, Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) asked its members to investigate whether Smith, who was the special counsel for former Attorney General Merrick Garland, engaged in unlawful political activity to influence the 20204 presidential election and targeted Trump in doing so.
“President Trump of course vanquished Joe Biden, Jack Smith, every Democrat who weaponized the law against him, but President Trump’s astounding victory doesn’t excuse Smith of responsibility for his unlawful election interference. I therefore ask the Office of Special Counsel to investigate whether Jack Smith or any members of his team unlawfully acted for political purposes,” the senator wrote in is request.
Smith oversaw a pair of criminal investigations into Trump while former President Joe Biden (D) was still in office, the New York Post reported on Friday.
The outlet said one of the investigations was “into Trump’s handling of classified documents, the other as to whether his actions on Jan. 6th, 2021, were an attempt to overturn the 2020 election. Both cases were dismissed.”
“An email reviewed by The Post states The Hatch Act Unit, which enforces a law restricting government employees from engaging in political activities, has begun reviewing the former Special Counsel for the United States Department of Justice. The email was written by Senior Counsel Charles Baldis at OSC,” the article said.
Smith resigned from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) after he failed to bring the cases against Trump to trial, Breitbart News reported in January.
The article said, “Smith’s resignation comes as his office has engaged in last-minute legal wranglings to release its work against Trump before President Joe Biden leaves office. The resignation Saturday comes just nine days before Trump’s inauguration, after which Smith would likely be fired.”
The following month, Trump suspended security clearances of law firm members who helped Smith, according to Breitbart News.
“The memo, addressed to all relevant agencies and departments, halts any clearances of Covington & Burling LLP’s members, partners, and employees who helped Smith during his time in the role ‘pending a review and determination of their roles and responsibilities, if any, in the weaponization of the judicial process,’ per the memo,” the outlet said.
