Gaetz demands Garland comply in weeks.

Florida GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz Demands Details on Special Counsel Jack Smith

Attorney General Merrick Garland’s choice of Jack Smith as special counsel in the investigation into former President Donald J. Trump has raised eyebrows. Smith’s past work, including his capricious definition of corruption in a case against a GOP governor, and his staff roster remaining private, has led Florida GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz to demand answers. In a letter to Garland, Gaetz requested all staff rosters, phone lists, or similar records, communications of the Office of Special Counsel, and all communications between the Office of Special Counsel and any state bar association or the 65 Project. Gaetz called Smith’s past work “highly irregular” and said it’s of “extraordinary public concern… how his office is structured.”

Political Skew and Attorney-Client Privilege

Gaetz’s request would help the public ascertain how politically skewed the special counsel’s office is. The second request regarding the special counsel’s office trying to find an end-around to attorney-client privilege is likely related to one of the government’s star witnesses against the former president: former Trump lawyer Evan Corcoran. Privileged documents were also among those seized by the FBI in the August 2022 raid at Mar-a-Lago, which yielded the evidence that prosecutors used to indict Trump on charges that include willful retention of national defense information, conspiracy to obstruct justice and false statements.

Do You Think Trump Will Spend Time in Jail?

Rep. Matt Gaetz Demands Answers from Special Counsel’s Office

Rep. Matt Gaetz is demanding answers from the special counsel’s office regarding potential misconduct and partisanship. Gaetz has sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland outlining his concerns and requesting information on three specific issues.

1. Gaetz is asking for information on the hiring process for the special counsel’s office, specifically whether any individuals associated with the 65 Project were involved in staffing decisions.
2. He is also requesting that Garland ensure compliance with record-keeping laws and provide copies of all applicable notices and training provided to staff within the Office of Special Counsel Jack Smith.
3. If these conditions are not met, Gaetz has threatened to defund the special counsel’s office via “procedural tools” available to the House of Representatives.

Gaetz’s concerns stem from potential misconduct and partisanship within the special counsel’s office. He notes that at least 27 devices used in the Mueller probe were unlawfully wiped clean of records, often by senior prosecutors on that probe. Gaetz is calling for transparency and accountability to ensure that justice is served fairly and impartially.

Georgia GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene Wants to Defund Special Counsel

ENDORSE!!!!!!

This must happen. https://t.co/5h3FfA6Mqi

— Matt Gaetz (@mattgaetz) June 12, 2023

Georgia GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene is pushing to defund the special counsel through an appropriations rider. While this move is unlikely to happen due to lack of votes, it could create enough trouble for the DOJ to reconsider the legal fight. Matt Gaetz, who endorses this move, demands transparency as the Trump case unfolds.

The Holman Rule

The defunding process would likely take place under the Holman Rule, which allows the House to zero out the salary of any government employee via an appropriations rider. However, the Supreme Court takes a dim view of this being used for federal employees whose actions are merely undesirable as opposed to illegal or corrupt.

U.S. v. Lovett

In a 1946 Supreme Court ruling, the court voted unanimously that the House did not have the authority to invoke the Holman Rule against 39 government employees alleged to be communist sympathizers, saying the move constituted a bill of attainder forbidden under Article I, Section 9 of the Constitution.

If the move to defund the special counsel does happen, it could be seen as yet another political witch hunt in the vein of the Mueller investigation. The hiring of lawyers and investigators with Democrat-linked Beltway firms and causes to the special counsel’s office, where they were expected to be fair and impartial, raises concerns about partisanship.

Gaetz’s Demands

Gaetz’s demands for transparency are crucial as the Trump case unfolds. If the special counsel’s office is found to be partisan, it could have serious implications for the investigation. Americans need to know the truth about what’s going on behind the scenes.

Conclusion

While the move to defund the special counsel is unlikely to happen, it raises important questions about partisanship and transparency in the investigation. Americans deserve to know the truth about what’s going on behind the scenes.

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