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FIRST ON FOX: A Senate Republican desires the Justice Division to analyze, and probably prosecute, former Particular Counsel Jack Smith over whether or not he “unlawfully took political actions to affect the 2024 election” towards President Donald Trump.
Sen. Tom Cottonwho chairs the Senate Intelligence Committee, accused Smith of in search of to influence the 2024 election in his capability as particular counsel below the Biden-led Justice Division in a letter to the performing head of the Workplace of Particular Counsel, Jamieson Greer, first obtained by Fox Information Digital.
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Particular counsel Jack Smith speaks to members of the media on the US Division of Justice constructing in Washington on August 1, 2023. (SAUL LOEB/AFP through Getty Photographs)
“Because the Workplace of the Particular Counsel is tasked with guaranteeing federal staff aren’t conducting partisan political exercise below the guise of their federal employment, you are nicely located to find out whether or not Smith broke the legislation,” the Arkansas Republican wrote.
“Lots of Smith’s authorized actions appear to have no rationale apart from an try and have an effect on the 2024 election outcomes – actions that might violate federal legislation,” he continued.
Smith was tapped by former Lawyer Normal Merrick Garland to probe allegations that Trump sought to overturn the 2020 election outcomes, and later investigated the dealing with of categorized paperwork that had been uncovered throughout a raid at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago compound.
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Sen. Tom Cotton chairs the Senate Intelligence Committee. (Invoice Clark/CQ-Roll Name, Inc through Getty Photographs)
Cotton listed 4 cases throughout Smith’s tenure the place he charged that the prosecutor sped up trial dates and revealed data “with no legit function.”
In a single instance, Cotton accused Smith of fast-tracking the trial date and jury choice for his case towards Trump associated to his August 2023 indictment that was a part of his 2020 election investigation.
That indictment included 4 fees towards the president, together with conspiracy to defraud america, obstruction of an official continuing, conspiracy to impede an official continuing, and conspiracy towards rights.
Cotton argued that, sometimes, defendants have greater than two years to arrange for that form of trial, and famous that the jury choice interval was slated simply two weeks earlier than the Iowa Caucuses in 2024.
He additionally charged that Smith skirted the traditional appellate course of and “didn’t articulate a legit cause” the court docket ought to grant his request when Smith demanded a trial earlier than the forthcoming election day, needed an expedited assessment by the appeals court docket after which filed a petition with the Supreme Courtroom to bypass the district court docket after Trump filed his protection with the District of Columbia District Courtroom in December 2023.
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President Donald Trump speaks with reporters aboard Air Drive One after leaving Aberdeen, Scotland, on July 29, 2025, en path to Washington. (AP Picture/Jacquelyn Martin)
Cotton accused Smith of violating the Justice Division’s “60-day rule,” that forestalls prosecutorial steps from being taken that might affect an upcoming election. That cost stemmed from Smith’s transfer to file a short following the Supreme Courtroom’s determination concerning presidential immunity, which was granted on Sept. 26, 2024, a bit over a month out from the election.
And that transient, Cotton famous, exceeded the usually allowed size 4 occasions over and included grand jury testimony “sometimes stored secret at this level in different proceedings.”
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“These actions weren’t commonplace, mandatory, or justified – until Smith’s actual function was to affect the election,” Cotton mentioned. “In reality, all through Particular Counsel Smith’s tenure, he commonly used farfetched and aggressive authorized theories to prosecute the Republican nominee for president. I’d add that President Biden additionally referred to as throughout the election for President Trump to be ‘locked up.’”
“President Trump, after all, vanquished Joe Biden, Jack Smith, each Democrat who weaponized the legislation towards him, however President Trump’s astounding victory would not excuse Smith of accountability for his illegal election interference,” he continued. “I subsequently ask the Workplace of Particular Counsel to analyze whether or not Jack Smith or any members of his crew unlawfully acted for political functions.”
Fox Information Digital reached out to Smith however didn’t instantly hear again.
Alex Miller is a author for Fox Information Digital protecting the U.S. Senate.
