A top House Republican is accusing special counsel Jack Smith of election interference as the prosecutor leads two criminal cases against former President Donald Trump.
House Republican Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik (R-NY) announced on Tuesday that she had filed an ethics complaint against Smith with the Office of Professional Responsibility at the Department of Justice (DOJ).
In her letter, which Stefanik posted to X, the congresswoman requested that Office of Professional Responsibility counsel Jeffrey Ragsdale open an investigation into Smith’s “apparent violations” of DOJ standards and ethical duties.
Stefanik insisted that Smith should face discipline for allegedly attempting to expedite the trial in the special counsel’s election interference case against Trump in Washington, D.C.
🚨🚨🚨 I just filed an official ethics complaint against Jack Smith with the Department of Justice's Office of Professional Responsibility for his illegal election interference.
It’s obvious to any reasonable observer that Jack Smith is trying to interfere with the 2024 election… pic.twitter.com/lNW4MUz5Oi
— Elise Stefanik (@EliseStefanik) April 30, 2024
The congresswoman also faulted Smith over how his team continued to file motions despite the case being stayed pending an immunity-focused appeal, a gripe that was the focus of a bid by Trump’s team to get the special counsel held in contempt.
A U.S. judge declined to hold Smith in contempt, but did limit both sides from filing “substantive pretrial motions” without first seeking permission. The Supreme Court is considering the debate over immunity, with oral arguments taking place last week.
Smith “has sought to accelerate his illegal prosecution of President Trump for the clear (if unstated) purpose of trying him before the November election,” Stefanik said in a statement, adding that the DOJ’s “own policies clearly prohibit Smith from doing so.”
“Smith’s conduct has brought disrepute to the Department of Justice and the entire federal government, and the DOJ’s Office of Professional Responsibility should impose the discipline that such conduct warrants,” Stefanik added.
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A spokesperson for Smith declined to comment on the letter to The Daily Wire, but did point to the judge’s ruling on contempt and comments by DOJ investigator Jay Bratt last month in the Florida-based classified documents case against Trump.
During a hearing, Bratt said Smith’s team was in “full compliance” with the DOJ Manual, and he argued that prosecuting an existing indictment in the period leading up to an election does not violate the “60-day rule” meant to avoid influencing voters.
Trump, who is facing two other criminal cases as well as civil litigation as he runs another White House campaign, has broadly denied any wrongdoing and has argued that politically motivated prosecutors are conducting a “witch hunt” against him.
Last month, The Daily Wire exclusively reported that another Republican, Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), asked the DOJ inspector general to look into whether Smith was allowing the 2024 election to impact the timeline of his prosecutorial endeavor.