US officials have opened an investigation by Jack Smith, the former special consultant, who headed two law enforcement cases against President Donald Trump, reported the US media on Saturday.
The special advisor’s office informed the New York Times that Smith had examined it because he may violate the Hatch Act to prohibit federal workers on doing political activities during the workplace.
The Republican Senator Tom Cotton had reportedly asked the agency to investigate whether Smith’s actions influence the 2024 elections.
The agency, which monitors the implementation of federal employees, did not immediately answer the request for a comment from AFP.
Smith was appointed special consultant in 2022 and accused Trump to overthrow the results of the 2020 elections and to disapprov classified documents after leaving the White House.
Trump denied both accusations and tried to make them politically motivated and accused the Ministry of Justice against being weapons.
No one ever came to court, and the special consultant in accordance with a policy of the Ministry of Justice, not to pursue a sitting president – left them both after Trump won the presidential elections in November 2024.
Smith then resigned before Trump was able to fulfill his campaign promise to relieve him.
The Office of Special Counsel works separately from Special Counsel Offices of the Ministry of Justice, as headed by Smith.
According to the Times, the public prosecutor’s decisions made by Smith are generally not under his appearance.
It cannot issue criminal charges against Smith, but can transfer its results to the Ministry of Justice that has this power.
The most serious punishment in the context of the HATCH ACT is the termination of employment that would not apply to Smith because it has already resigned.
Since taking office in January, Trump has taken a number of punitive measures against his perceived enemies.
He has involved former officials of their security checks and protection details, targeted law firms against him in previous cases and pulled the federal financing of universities.
Last month, the FBI opened criminal investigations into his former director James Comey and ex-CIA boss John Brennan, two prominent Trump critics.
Days later, Comey’s daughter Maurene – a federal prosecutor who was fired abruptly fired the case of a notorious sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, who was repeatedly associated with Trump.
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