On Wednesday, former President Trump criticized Jack Smith, a former special advisor, for starting an investigation into Turning Point USA, a nonprofit established by conservative activist Charlie Kirk in 2012.
“Why was there such a significant turning point during the investigation by the ‘disturbed’ Jack Smith and the corrupt, incompetent Biden administration?” Trump questioned in a post.
He continued, “They aimed to put Charlie and many others out of business, threatening political opponents of sleepy Joe Biden, including me!”
Trump has consistently slammed Smith and the Biden administration after Smith initiated a probe into election interference involving Republican-backed organizations and donors, which supported Trump’s unfounded claims about the 2020 election.
On Tuesday, Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) unveiled audio and records related to the inquiry titled “Arctic Frost,” which looks into 92 GOP entities and individuals associated with the nonprofit.
“Since the Trump administration took office, numerous FBI agents have been removed,” Grassley stated in his remarks. “These removals included agents and prosecutors who were weaponized by a partisan agenda, and I’ve released documents to substantiate that.”
Earlier this year, Smith stepped down from his position prior to Trump’s inauguration but defended his investigation regarding the actions taken during the last election. Trump’s supporters suggest that Smith’s legal pursuits are designed to hinder Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign.
“The final decision to bring charges against Trump was mine. I fully stand by that decision,” Smith stated in a letter to former Attorney General Merrick Garland, clarifying that someone else in the Justice Department did not influence his choice to indict Trump.
“For anyone who knows me well, Trump’s assertion that my prosecutorial decisions were swayed by the Biden administration or other political figures is, frankly, amusing,” he added.
Smith noted that Trump did not challenge any factual aspects of the investigation report, only expressed opposition to its publication.
Although many charges against Trump were dismissed following a sweeping Supreme Court ruling related to election outcomes and presidential immunity, Smith emphasized that he had not fully cleared Trump of wrongdoing.
“The division’s stance is that the Constitution prohibits prosecuting Trump while he is in office, irrespective of the crime’s severity, the evidence’s strength, or the merit of the prosecutions,” he wrote.
Earlier in the year, Senate Republicans initiated a watchdog review of Smith, citing potential violations of the Hatch Act, a claim that Smith’s lawyer described as “unfounded and lacking substance.”
