An official ethics complaint was filed against Department of Justice special counsel Jack Smith on Tuesday that alleged his prosecution of former President Donald Trump is blatant election interference.
The complaint was filed by Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York, the chair of the House GOP Conference.
In an official complaint to Jeffrey Ragsdale of the DOJ’s Office of Professional Responsibility, Stefanik accused Smith of egregious ethics violations that deserve “discipline.”
Smith is overseeing two federal criminal cases against the former president and presumptive 2024 Republican White House nominee.
In one case, Smith has accused Trump of crimes he says equate to election interference stemming from the former president’s challenging of the 2020 election. In a separate case, Smith alleged Trump mishandled classified documents.
The Justice Department is seeking to imprison Trump in both cases.
In total, Trump faces nearly four dozen federal charges, Politico noted.
Stefanik argued in her complaint that the cases were a way for Smith to suppress the will of voters by criminally prosecuting a man who is leading President Joe Biden in many polls.
Should Jack Smith be disciplined?
Yes: 99% (2268 Votes)
No: 1% (19 Votes)
“It’s obvious to any reasonable observer that Jack Smith is trying to interfere with the 2024 election and stop the American people from electing Donald Trump,” Stefanik said in a statement announcing the complaint filing on her X account.
🚨🚨🚨 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
“At every turn, he has sought to accelerate his illegal prosecution of President Trump for the clear (if unstated) purpose of trying him before the November election,” she continued.
The lawmaker further argued that Smith is actively violating his department’s policies with the cases, accusing him of personal bias.
“Jack Smith’s actions brought disrepute to the Justice Department and the federal government as a whole, and he should face discipline appropriately,” Stefanik concluded.
In her official complaint, the congresswoman said Smith’s “multiple attempts to rush to trial the federal January 6th case against President Trump violated long-standing, explicit Justice Department policy.”
“Further, Jack Smith’s repeated violations of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia’s stay of proceedings are a lawless breach of trial ethics and lawyerly conduct,” she stated.
She also invoked several legal motions filed by Smith since the U.S. Supreme Court announced it would weigh Trump’s claims of presidential immunity on some of the charges Trump faces.
Stefanik argued pursuing legal action of any kind during the stay equates to a clear example of “misconduct.”
“This conduct strongly supports the opening of an ethics investigation to hold Biden special counsel Jack Smith accountable for prosecutorial misconduct,” she added.
Stefanik asked Ragsdale to open an investigation immediately.
