The U.S. Office of Special Counsel has launched an investigation into former Special Counsel Jack Smith to determine whether he violated the Hatch Act, a law restricting political activity by federal employees, several U.S. media outlets reported Saturday.
The inquiry follows accusations from allies of President Donald Trump, who claim Smith’s prosecutions were politically motivated and aimed at disrupting Trump's 2024 presidential campaign.
Smith, who was appointed by then-Attorney General Merrick Garland in November 2022—just three days before Trump officially announced his reelection bid—led two federal investigations into Trump. One focused on classified documents found at Trump’s Florida residence, and the other on alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election results.
Though both investigations resulted in criminal charges, Trump denied any wrongdoing, pleaded not guilty, and the cases were later dropped after he returned to office in the 2024 election.
Republican Senator Tom Cotton said earlier this week on X that Smith's actions "were nothing more than a tool for the Biden and (former Vice President Kamala) Harris campaigns," calling it "very likely illegal campaign activity from a public office." He also criticised Smith for pushing a rapid trial schedule, with jury selection set to begin just two weeks before the Iowa caucuses.
Smith resigned following Trump’s victory but defended his decisions in a final report released in January.
"The ultimate decision to bring charges against Mr. Trump was mine. It is a decision I stand behind fully," Smith wrote, stressing that neither Garland nor any other Department of Justice official influenced his decisions.
In the report, he said claims that he was politically motivated were “laughable,” and argued that the evidence against Trump was strong.
"The throughline of all of Mr. Trump’s criminal efforts was deceit—knowingly false claims of election fraud—and the evidence shows that Mr. Trump used these lies as a weapon to defeat a federal government function foundational to the United States’ democratic process," he wrote.
The Office of Special Counsel, an independent federal agency, cannot prosecute Smith but can recommend disciplinary action and refer its findings to the Department of Justice for possible criminal proceedings.
Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado has returned to the South American nation almost a year after she secretly left the countr...
Uzbekistan summoned Iran’s ambassador following claims by several Iranian diplomatic missions that the historical and architectural heri...
Kazakhstan marks Republic Day on 25 October with an ambitious economic agenda and a growing partnership with Azerbaijan, as the two Caspian neighbo...
Around 11,000 people joined a demonstration in Orléans on Saturday against the National Rally congress, according to the local prefecture.
Typhoon Champi swept past Taiwan on Saturday, leaving one person dead and more than 500 injured as strong winds and torrential rain brought down trees, cut power and disrupted transport across the island.
French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday described a deadly shooting in the towns of Trappes and La Verrière, west of Paris, as a racist attack and ‘a turning point’ for the country.
Israeli forces have maintained a tight closure on Hebron in the occupied West Bank for a second day, with Palestinian media reporting home raids, mass detentions and dozens of residents forced outside following a shooting incident the day before.
German police have detained a suspect after a major fire broke out at the historic Kehlsteinhaus, known as the “Eagle’s Nest”, a mountain retreat once used by senior Nazi officials, including Adolf Hitler.
Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado has returned to the South American nation almost a year after she secretly left the country to travel to Norway for the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony.
Riot police fired tear gas at protesters in France’s largest cities and more than 1,300 people were arrested during demonstrations against the rising cost of living on Saturday (24 October). Police also used a water cannon on a group of around 500 hooded youths in Paris, after the main rally ended.
Ukraine's military has been hit this month by restrictions on Starshield, the military version of SpaceX's Starlink satellite communications system. Its receivers stopped functioning when mounted on fast-moving objects such as drones, jeopardising some combat and air defence missions.
At least five people were killed and several others injured in overnight attacks across Russia and Ukraine on Sunday, 25 October, as officials reported strikes on residential areas and industrial facilities, while Moscow claimed to have targeted logistics infrastructure and a cargo vessel.
Protests against war and rising living costs took place in major Italian cities on Saturday, with some incidents of violence and clashes, a week after unrest erupted across the country.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment