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.
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U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday that the United States has begun negotiations with European leaders over Greenland and that an agreement is already taking shape.
The United States accused Cuba of interfering with the work of its top diplomat in Havana on Sunday (1 February) after small groups of Cubans jeered at him during meetings with residents and church representatives.
Dmitry Medvedev, said European countries have failed to defeat Russia in Ukraine and have instead inflicted serious economic damage on themselves, as he criticised EU policy, praised Donald Trump as a leader who seeks peace, and said Russia would “soon” achieve military victory in the war.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has warned that any U.S. military attack on Iran would spark a wider regional conflict, Iranian semi-official Tasnim news agency reported on Sunday.
U.S. president Donald Trump said Iran is “seriously talking” with the United States and expressed hope that negotiations could lead to an outcome acceptable to Washington.
Hungary has vowed legal action against the European Union over a planned ban on Russian gas imports by 2027, after Brussels said national objections would not override EU law.
Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) has accused French President Emmanuel Macron of authorising intelligence operations aimed at eliminating “undesirable leaders” in Africa, claiming that Paris is pursuing a political comeback after losing ground in several former colonies.
Türkiye, Egypt, and Qatar are trying to organise a meeting in Ankara between White House Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and top Iranian officials, according to reports in the U.S. and Turkish media.
German authorities have arrested five people suspected of running a criminal network to circumvent European Union sanctions by exporting goods to at least 24 sanctioned Russian defence companies, the federal prosecutor’s office said on Monday.
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