Aug. 2 (UPI) — Officials with the Office of Special Counsel are launching an investigation into Jack Smith, who oversaw criminal probes into President Donald Trump related to the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.
The investigation into Smith is related to alleged violations of the Hatch Act, NBC News reported, citing sources within the agency.
Investigators have not yet disclosed any specific evidence against Smith, who headed two criminal investigations, one into Trump’s role in the Jan. 6 insurrection and a second into his handling of classified documents following his first term in the White House.
“I appreciate the Office of Special Counsel taking this seriously and launching an investigation into Jack Smith’s conduct. No one is above the law.
“Jack Smith’s actions were clearly driven to hurt President Trump’s election, and Smith should be held fully accountable,” said Senate Intelligence Committee chair Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., told the New York Post in a statement.
The U.S. Office of Special Counsel is an independent federal investigative and prosecutorial agency, which also operates as a secure channel for federal whistleblowers.
The Hatch Act was passed in 1939 and “limits certain political activities of federal employees,” while ensuring “that federal programs are administered in a nonpartisan fashion.”
Smith’s role as special prosecutor is not related to the Office of Special Counsel.
Smith in January resigned from the Justice Department, days before Trump took office for his second term as president.
He initially announced his intention to resign following Trump’s victory in the November 2024 election.
Last month, Attorney General Pam Bondi fired nine former members of Smith’s former team of federal prosecutors and assistance.
That brought the number of firings of employees involved in prosecutorial efforts of Trump to 20.