A formal ethics complaint was lodged against Department of Justice special counsel Jack Smith on Tuesday, alleging that he is engaging in blatant election interference through his prosecution of former President Donald Trump.
The complaint was filed by Elise Stefanik, a Republican Congresswoman from New York and the chair of the House GOP conference. Stefanik accused Smith of serious ethics violations and called for disciplinary action to be taken against him.
In her official complaint to the DOJ’s Office of Professional Responsibility, Stefanik claimed that Smith has engaged in egregious misconduct by pursuing criminal charges against Trump. Smith is currently overseeing two federal cases against the former president, claiming that he committed election interference while challenging the results of the 2020 presidential election and mishandled classified documents.
Stefanik argued that these cases are a clear attempt by Smith to interfere with the 2024 election and prevent Trump from potentially running for president again. She stated that it is obvious to any reasonable observer that Smith is motivated by personal bias and is breaching DOJ policies in his pursuit of Trump.
The congresswoman highlighted that Smith’s repeated attempts to expedite the federal case against Trump fly in the face of long-standing Justice Department policy. She also accused him of violating a stay of proceedings ordered by the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. Stefanik argued that this behavior is a clear breach of trial ethics and a violation of lawyerly conduct.
???????????? 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
Stefanik also referenced several legal motions filed by Smith in the wake of the US Supreme Court’s decision to review Trump’s claims of presidential immunity for some of the charges he faces. She stated that pursuing legal action during a stay of proceedings is a blatant example of misconduct and should be investigated by the Office of Professional Responsibility.
Stefanik concluded her complaint by emphasizing that Smith’s actions have brought disrepute to the DOJ and the federal government as a whole. She urged the office to open an investigation and hold Smith accountable for his actions.
The complaint cites multiple violations of DOJ policies and a breach of trial ethics, as well as personal bias on the part of Smith. The congresswoman responsible for filing the complaint has called for disciplinary action to be taken against Smith and has requested an immediate investigation by the Office of Professional Responsibility. It remains to be seen what actions will be taken in response to this complaint and if it will have any impact on the ongoing legal cases against former President Trump.