Key Takeaways:
- The Office of Special Counsel has launched an investigation into former Special Counsel Jack Smith for potential violations of the Hatch Act.
- Smith led politically charged cases against Donald Trump, which were dropped after Trump’s reelection.
- Senator Tom Cotton accused Smith of pushing for a rushed trial to influence the 2024 election and demanded immediate accountability.
The tables are turning in Washington, and this time, it’s the investigator under the microscope. The Office of Special Counsel (OSC) has officially launched an investigation into former Special Counsel Jack Smith for allegedly violating the Hatch Act—federal law that bars political activity by government officials.
Smith, who was appointed by Attorney General Merrick Garland in November 2022, led two high-profile investigations against then-former President Trump: one over classified documents, and another regarding the 2020 election. Trump denied all wrongdoing, pleaded not guilty, and went on to win reelection in 2024. The charges? Quietly dropped after Trump returned to the Oval Office. How convenient.
Smith resigned just days before Inauguration Day, but not before pushing for a “rushed trial” of Trump, according to Sen. Tom Cotton. “They were the actions of a political actor masquerading as a public official,” Cotton said. “That’s why I’ve asked this unprecedented interference in the 2024 election be immediately investigated by OSC.”
Limited government only works when its agents are held to account. Let the sunlight in.