Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida has taken action by filing an election interference complaint against Jack Smith, accusing the special counsel of conducting a “witch hunt” against former President Donald Trump.
In a letter to Department of Justice Inspector General Michael Horowitz, Gaetz has filed a complaint, asserting that Smith’s actions to expedite the Trump case are in violation of federal law.
“The partisan exercise led by Attorney General Garland and Special Counsel Smith against President Trump is nothing but a witch hunt, and the American people are well aware of it,” expressed Gaetz.
According to Gaetz, Special Counsel Smith’s actions in expediting the trial against President Trump go against the rules and laws of the Department of Justice. Gaetz further asserts that Smith’s public comments and his office’s briefs before the Supreme Court indicate that his motives are nothing more than unlawful interference in the upcoming 2024 presidential election.
Former President Donald Trump has entered a plea of not guilty to four charges related to an alleged “criminal scheme” aimed at overturning the 2020 election results. The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to review Trump’s claim of presidential immunity in this case, with oral arguments set to commence on April 25.
Smith, who has chosen not to respond to the complaint, had previously requested the Supreme Court to promptly address the question of immunity in December. However, this request was denied. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit had already ruled against the immunity claim before the Supreme Court decided to take up the issue just last month.
According to Gaetz, if there was a valid reason for this request that is not related to the election, the attorneys would have provided such information. He pointed out that these attorneys have filed in appeals courts numerous times, implying that their failure to provide a legitimate purpose suggests that their request may be politically motivated.
According to Gaetz, Special Counsel Jack Smith’s actions suggest that he considers holding a trial before the November 2024 election to be extremely important. However, Gaetz believes that Smith cannot openly state this intention due to departmental policy and legal restrictions.
We are undeniably in the midst of an election season, although the Justice Manual does not provide specific dates.
Law enforcement officers are prohibited from strategically timing their actions, including investigative steps, criminal charges, or statements, with the intention of influencing elections or favoring any particular candidate or political party, as stated in the Justice Manual.
Gaetz is urging Horowitz to conduct an investigation into the reason behind the DOJ’s failure to fulfill congressional oversight requests.
The investigation’s focus could be limited to interviewing the Special Counsel and verifying that he has a legitimate reason for expediting the case against Donald Trump. The goal would be to ensure that the timing of the trial is not influenced by the election calendar.
