House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik is requesting an ethics investigation into special counsel Jack Smith, alleging that he is meddling in the 2024 presidential election. Stefanik has sent a letter to the Justice Department’s Office of Professional Responsibility, asking for a review of Smith’s handling of the election subversion case involving former President Donald Trump. She believes that Smith is interfering with the election process in an attempt to prevent the American people from electing Trump, whom she is rumored to be a contender for running mate.
Stefanik has accused Smith of improperly attempting to expedite the trial and issuing court filings in the 2020 election subversion case while it was on hold. In December, Smith’s team petitioned the Supreme Court to fast-track consideration of Trump’s presidential immunity appeal, arguing that a prompt resolution was in the public interest. The petition was rejected, delaying the trial start date indefinitely. Stefanik believes that Smith’s goal was not justice but to prevent Trump from running for president again.
Stefanik referenced a provision in the DOJ Manual that states prosecutors should not time any action for the purpose of affecting an election or giving an advantage to a candidate. She labeled Smith as “Biden special counsel Jack Smith” and criticized his office for making court filings in the 2020 election supervision case after a judge had put proceedings on hold due to the immunity appeal. Despite an attempt to hold Smith in contempt of court for these filings, it was rejected earlier in the year.
Smith is overseeing the DOJ’s indictments against Trump regarding the 2020 election and the Mar-a-Lago document issue. Trump faces a total of 88 criminal counts across four indictments, to which he has pleaded not guilty and denied wrongdoing. Both Stefanik and Smith were named on Time Magazine’s list of 100 most influential people for 2024. Stefanik, who was one of the first members of Congress to endorse Trump’s 2024 bid, has publicly criticized Smith’s prosecution of the former president.
The Supreme Court recently heard oral arguments in Trump’s immunity appeal, but a decision is pending. Stefanik believes that Smith’s actions are politically motivated and designed to prevent Trump from potentially becoming president again. She is urging the ethics investigation to look into Smith’s conduct and ensure that justice is served impartially and without political interference. The accusations against Smith raise concerns about the integrity of the legal process and the potential impact on future elections in the United States. It remains to be seen how the Justice Department will respond to Stefanik’s request for an investigation into Smith.
