New York Representative Elise Stefanik has issued yet another call to speak with the manager of the Justice Department. Recently known for publicly criticizing various justice officials, Stefanik now demands an ethics investigation of Special Counsel Jack Smith. According to Stefanik, Smith is accused of abusing federal government resources to unlawfully meddle with the 2024 presidential election, as reported by
Above The Law.
In a letter addressed to Jeffrey Ragsdale, a seasoned official from the Justice Department and counsel to the Office of Professional Responsibility, Stefanik demanded that Smith should be investigated. Her primary focus is on the DOJ’s regulation of selecting the timing of any action aimed at affecting any election or giving any candidate or political party an advantage or disadvantage.
Stefanik asserts that Smith infringed this rule when he sought a trial commencement in January of 2024, just eight months before the election. In her view, aiming for an early trial was a strategic move to conclude the case before the commencement of the election cycle – a sentiment she expressed on Twitter.
The congresswoman insists also that Smith violated the trial court’s stay order by continuing with discovery obligations prior to the Supreme Court’s conservative majority determining whether former president Donald Trump would face trial. Judge Tanya Chutkan previously ruled against the argument that the special counsel violated the stay order.
Despite the controversies surrounding these claims, Stefanik has marked on a campaign blitz, alerting right-leaning media outlets, such as Fox News, Washington Examiner, New York Post, and The Hill, along with her official congressional website.
It remains to be seen how Ragsdale, and the larger DOJ, will respond to Stefanik’s claims and demands.