The 6th of March (UPI) — On Wednesday, Florida Republican Matt Gaetz accused special counsel Jack Smith of mounting a “witch hunt” against former president Donald Trump in an election interference complaint he filed against Smith.
In a letter addressed to Michael Horowitz, the Inspector General of the Department of Justice, Gaetz complained, asserting that Smith’s efforts to hasten the Trump investigation constitute a legal violation.
“The witch hunt against President Trump by Attorney General Garland and Special Counsel Smith is a partisan exercise, and the American people know it,” said Gaetz.
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“Special Counsel Smith’s efforts to hasten President Trump’s trial do not comply with Department of Justice regulations or applicable laws. Gaetz went on to say that his statements made in public and the papers filed by his office with the Supreme Court prove that his only motivation is to illegally meddle in the 2024 presidential race.
Trump has entered not-guilty pleas to all four counts against him related to a purported “criminal scheme” to invalidate the 2020 election results. Legal arguments are set to commence on April 25th before the United States Supreme Court, which has consented to consider Trump’s request for presidential immunity in the matter.
The Supreme Court turned down Smith’s December request that they rush to decide the immunity issue, even though he has yet to answer the complaint. Before the Supreme Court’s decision last month to consider the matter, the DC Circuit Court of Appeals had already rejected the protection claim.
“Were there a legitimate, non-election related purpose for this request, these attorneys, who have filed in appeals courts many times, would have listed such,” explained Gaetz.
“There can only be one conclusion: Special Counsel Jack Smith sees it as of paramount importance to hold a trial before the November 2024 election, but he is unable to explicitly say so, as such a justification violates departmental policy and law,” Gaetz continued.
Everybody can see that election season has already begun. To be clear, the Justice Manual does not provide definitive deadlines.
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As stated in the Justice Manual, police officers “may never select the timing of any action, including investigative steps, criminal charges, or statements, to affect any election, or to give an advantage or disadvantage to any candidate or political party.”
Horowitz has been asked by Gaetz to look into the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) refusal to comply with congressional efforts for oversight.
“The precise scope of an investigation may be as narrow as interviewing the Special Counsel, and determining that he has a lawful purpose in seeking the expediting of his case against Donald Trump, and determining that he did not have the purpose of keying a trial date to the election calendar.”
