Jack Smith Stung By Ethics Complaint

Republican Congresswoman Elise Stefanik has filed an ethics complaint against Special Counsel Jack Smith, accusing him of "trying to interfere with the 2024 election."

The New York representative, who is a close ally of Donald Trump, sent a complaint about Smith to the Justice Department's Office of Professional Responsibility. Smith is leading the investigation into the former president's alleged attempt to overturn the 2020 election.

Newsweek contacted Stefanik by email and the DOJ by website form to comment on this story. The DOJ declined to comment.

The Context

In a federal indictment filed in August 2023, Trump is facing four charges pertaining to his alleged attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 election. He has denied all wrongdoing and said he should be immune from prosecution because the case is based on decisions he made while in office.

Trump has pleaded not guilty to four felony charges in relation to Smith's investigation into the events that led up to the January 6 Capitol attack, with the proceedings on hold pending the results of the absolute immunity defense appeal that the Supreme Court is to rule on.

What We Know

Stefanik shared her complaint letter on X, formerly Twitter, and wrote: "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. 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.

"The Justice Department's own policies clearly prohibit Smith from doing so, and as a DOJ employee he is bound by those policies. Moreover, when the District Court imposed a stay on the proceedings, Smith and his office ignored it and continued to file discovery documents.

"Smith's conduct has brought disrepute to the Department of Justice and the entire federal government, and the DOJ's Office of Professional Responsibility should impose the discipline that such conduct warrants."

She accused Smith of rushing the case to trial and preventing Trump's legal team from reviewing key documents.

Stefanik has in the past filed ethics complaints about other Trump adversaries including Judge Arthur Engoron, who oversaw his civil fraud trial. She called on him to resign.

Views

Writing on X, Brian Costello, a user with over 18,000 followers, indicated his support for Stefanik's letter, calling her "one of the rare individuals in DC who possesses both the courage and the aptitude to take meaningful action beyond just ranting on TV."

But another user appeared to criticize her, writing: "Could you bootlick any harder?"

What's Next?

What response if any the Office of Professional Responsibility gives remains to be seen.

Update 4/30/24, 12:12 p.m. ET: This story was updated with additional information and background.