The U.S. Office of Special Counsel said Saturday it has opened an investigation into former Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith for possible violations of the Hatch Act, which bars most federal employees from engaging in partisan political activity. The announcement, confirmed by the agency and reported by several news outlets, focuses on whether Smith’s handling of two criminal cases against Donald Trump crossed the law’s boundaries. The inquiry was requested earlier in the week by Senator Tom Cotton, who alleges Smith accelerated court proceedings in 2023 to influence the 2024 presidential race in favor of then-President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. Smith, a registered independent, indicted Trump for conspiring to overturn the 2020 election and for mishandling classified documents. He dismissed both cases after Trump won the November 2024 election and resigned from the Justice Department on 11 January 2025. The OSC, currently led by an acting chief appointed by Trump, can recommend discipline ranging from reprimand to removal from federal service and may refer findings to the Justice Department, but it has no criminal prosecutorial authority. Neither Smith nor the Justice Department has commented on the allegations, and Cotton has not provided evidence supporting his claims.