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March 6 (UPI) -- Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida filed an election interference complaint Wednesday against Jack Smith, accusing the special counsel of conducting a "witch hunt" against former President Donald Trump. Gaetz filed the complaint in a letter to Department of Justice Inspector General Michael Horowitz, arguing that Smith's actions to expedite the Trump case violate federal law.
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"The witch hunt against President Trump by Attorney General Garland and Special Counsel Smith is a partisan exercise, and the American people know it," Gaetz wrote.
"The actions of the Special Counsel Smith to speed up the trial against President Trump violate the DOJ's rules and the law. His public comments and his office's briefs before the Supreme Court demonstrate that he has no reason for his actions other than to unlawfully interfere in the 2024 presidential election," Gaetz added.
Trump has pleaded not guilty to four charges of orchestrating an alleged "criminal scheme" to overturn the 2020 election results. The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear Trump's presidential immunity claim in the case with oral arguments scheduled to begin April 25.
Smith -- who has not responded to the complaint -- requested the Supreme Court quickly take up the immunity question in December, but that was rejected. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled against the immunity claim before the Supreme Court agreed last month to take up the issue.
"Were there a legitimate, non-election related purpose for this request, these attorneys, who have filed in appeals courts many times, would have listed such," Gaetz said.
"There can only be one conclusion: Special Counsel Jack Smith sees it as of paramount importance to hold a trial before the November 2024 election, but he is unable to explicitly say so, as such a justification is in violation of departmental policy and law," Gaetz added.
"It is indisputable that we are already in an election season. However, the Justice Manual does not set hard dates."
According to the Justice Manual, law enforcement officers "may never select the timing of any action, including investigative steps, criminal charges, or statements, for the purpose of affecting any election, or for the purpose of giving an advantage or disadvantage to any candidate or political party."
Gaetz is asking Horowitz to investigate why the DOJ has failed to comply with oversight requests from Congress.
"The precise scope of an investigation may be as narrow as interviewing the Special Counsel, and determining that he has a lawful purpose in seeking the expediting of his case against Donald Trump, and determining that he did not have the purpose of keying a trial date to the election calendar."
