There was evidently no widespread slowdown in the Justice Department criminal investigations that are now the responsibility of Special Counsel Jack Smith as he took control, and now, he’s further expanding his team.
CNN also says Smith is now in the U.S. Although his past career includes work at the Justice Department, he subsequently worked overseas in prosecuting war crimes, and he was recently recovering from a bike accident before making the trip back. Those newly joining the Special Counsel’s work include Raymond Hulser, who formerly led the department’s Public Integrity Section, and David Harbach, who CNN notes was involved in cases against John Edwards and Bob McDonnell, a former Senator and governor — meaning he also has experience in dealing with potentially criminal activity by figures entrusted with elected office. The branch of the department Hulser led handles “oversight responsibilities for the prosecution of criminal abuses of the public trust by government officials,” as an official webpage explains the team.
Its work includes consultation with and assistance to others in the department on issues including misconduct by government officials and campaign finance offenses, besides bringing its own cases. The team evidently has exclusive jurisdiction over potentially criminal misconduct perpetrated by federal judges, which provides another apt glimpse into its work. Smith has the power to bring charges or refer charges for handling by other prosecutors in the department, although there is no clear indication he’s anywhere near that point — yet.
Recent reports have outlined some of the investigative materials Smith and his team have received in response to subpoenas that went out to election officials at the state and local levels in locales Trump and allies of his targeted after the 2020 election. From Clark County, Nevada, which includes Las Vegas, Smith obtained documentation of Trump lawyers seeking personally identifying info for members of a county ballot tabulation board.
“Included in the response from Michigan’s secretary of state is an email from a county official who was reporting two voicemails they received in December 2020 from individuals seeking access to voting equipment,” CNN also reported. One of the voicemails was from someone claiming to be on Trump’s legal team. Elsewhere, Harbach was already physically on the job on Thursday, although Smith’s team has reportedly yet to settle on a permanent office, CNN reported. Harbach was consulting with another prosecutor on the special counsel’s team about prosecutions tied to extremist groups and briefly stopped by a Capitol riot trial on seditious conspiracy allegations against members of the Oath Keepers, one such far-right group.
