‘Equipment for Biden’s campaign’: The Trump administration accused former Special Advocate Jack Smith of political bias; Investigation started
US President Donald Trump and Republican MPs have initiated the investigation of former Special Advocate Jack Smith after Trump’s 2024 invasion of the 2024 presidential campaign.An independent federal agency, the US Office of Special Council (OSC) on Saturday confirmed NBC News that it is looking at Smith for a possible violation of the Hatch Act- a law that prevents some political activities by federal employees. The OSC is different from the office of a special lawyer of the Department of Justice, which Smith led Trump during his investigation.While OSC cannot bring criminal allegations, it may recommend disciplinary action such as removal from the federal workforce. It can also refer to the Department of Justice, although it is unusual.Senator Tom Cotton, R-Arch., Formally requested an inquiry on Wednesday, accused Smith of “unprecedented intervention in the 2024 election”. Smith was appointed as Special Advocate by the then Attorney General Merick Garland in November 2022, exactly three days after Trump announced his presidential bid. He later brought two criminal prosecutions against Trump in 2023, but played a week slightly more than a week from Trump’s opening in January 2024. Neither the case was prosecuted.“Jack Smith’s legal action was nothing more than a tool for Biden and Harris expeditions,” Cotton said in a post on Wednesday. “This is not only immoral, it is a possibility of illegal campaign activity from a public office.”Cotton also claimed that Smith pushed to Trump’s “early testing”, although he had not issued specific evidence of illegal conduct.The Hatch Act violation is rarely referred to DOJ. In 2019, OSC recommended the then President Trump to remove the White House counselor Kelinen Conway for violation of the Hatch Act, but the issue did not prosecute.Meanwhile, OSC, Paul Innrasia’s nominated to lead Trump, stayed in the Senate. A White House official said that a former podcast host Inrasia, with the history of controversial comments, is currently holding one-one-one meet with the senators as part of the confirmation process.
