Ex-Trump prosecutor Jack Smith under investigation for alleged illegal political activity; here's what you need to know
, the former special counsel who investigated then-candidate
Donald Trump
before his reelection to a second term, is now being investigated by federal officials. Following the reports by other news organizations, the investigation was confirmed on Saturday (August 2, 2025) by the
Office of Special Counsel
, an independent federal agency.
Smith was named special counsel to investigate Trump by then-Attorney General Merrick Garland in November 2022.
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Trump and his Republican allies, including Sen. Tom Cotton, have, without offering evidence of wrongdoing, accused Smith of violating the
Hatch Act
, a federal law that bans certain public officials from engaging in political activity.
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Smith prosecuted two federal cases against Trump
Smith prosecuted two federal cases against Republican candidate Trump in the lead-up to the November 2024 presidential election. Smith ultimately dropped the cases; neither one had gone to trial after Trump was reelected, which would have shielded him from prosecution according to longstanding Justice Department practice. Smith then subsequently resigned as special counsel.
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Cotton, R-Ark., on Wednesday asked the Office of Special Counsel to investigate Smith, alleging that his conduct was designed to help then-President Joe Biden and his vice president, Kamala Harris, both Democrats. Biden had dropped his bid for reelection following his disastrous performance in a campaign debate against Trump and tapped Harris to succeed him on the ticket. Trump won the election and returned to the White House for a second term. The New York Post was first to report on the investigation into Smith.
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Time of India
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Today, Indian foreign policy discourse is mired in an important debate. Two key assumptions govern this debate: that New Delhi's ties with the US arguably constitute its most important relationship in the 21st century, and that any negotiations with Beijing are a signal of weakness. India-US relations are undergoing a tense phase. The tensions have primarily been instigated by US President Donald Trump's decision to impose a 25% tariff on India, and an additional, 'unspecified penalty' for continuing to buy energy resources from Russia. His social media comments have gone so far as to refer to both India and Russia as 'dead economies.' Naturally, this has called into question the time-tested nature of the partnership in the face of the 'China challenge'. With the US-China equation changing, India has to balance ties with both as well as work towards its own national interests Speaking of China, after a long period of severed dialogue, postures on both sides have slightly relaxed, though the road to stability vis-à-vis the border issue, or even China's backing of Pakistan, is long and winding. Nonetheless, communication and negotiation between the two neighbours is underway, and is perhaps a welcome break from the silent-but-violent treatment. Besides the volatility in New Delhi's ties with the two superpowers, there exists a bilateral dynamic between the US and China, which vitally impacts India. An intense back-and-forth of escalating tariffs ensued between the two economic giants earlier this year. Yet, Trump's recent statements seem to suggest that a trade deal with Beijing is in the works. So how does that affect India? So far, India has believed that Trump's continued dissatisfaction with Beijing will be a core aspect of mutual convergence between itself and the US. This definitely was the case under the Joe Biden administration. But if anything is certain about Trump, it is that nothing, indeed, is certain. So, the US and China may not be entering a friendly phase, but they sure are inching toward some semblance of stability. The dynamics of this fateful triangle require that India think in its national interests— sustained economic growth and security of its territory from both external and internal threats. And as PM Modi himself remarked in an interview in 2023, '[The] foremost guiding principle in foreign affairs is our country's national interest.' This begs the question: How should New Delhi balance the nuances of its ties with the US and China and the repercussions of their own thaw, while working to achieve its national interests? 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Time of India
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Dalit student's suicide at CUK triggers outrage, allegations of cover-up
1 2 Pic: File photo of students staging a dharna at CUK Kalaburagi; Attendance sheets at CUK show a caste column Kalaburagi: The alleged suicide of Jayasri Nayak, 20, a student from Odisha, has raised many questions about the educational atmosphere at Central University Karnataka (CUK) here. As authorities broke the door of the room — where the body was found — without informing police, activists suspect efforts to destroy evidence. Since the student belonged to the Dalit community, casteism is also being suspected. Agitation regarding the death is getting traction by the day. P Nandakumar, who was a student for 8 years from UG to PhD and was president of Ambedkar Vidyarthi Sanghatane at CUK, told TOI that atrocities against Dalit students have been ongoing in the varsity since its inception. "However, there was space to agitate when a Dalit student committed suicide in 2017. For the past 3-4 years, even our right to protest has been suppressed. If we insist, an FIR is filed against us. It started in 2019 when Rahul, a student, questioned performing religious rituals on campus when the varsity is a secular place. Earlier, the varsity's SC/ ST cell provided financial assistance of Rs 20,000 for Dalit students intending to present their papers at national and international platforms. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like If you have a mouse, play this game for 1 minute Navy Quest Undo Now, it has been stopped. Even the OBC cell is shut. So is the case with the book bank and computer facility for Dalit students preparing for competitive exams. Now, SC/ST researchers are forced to pay fees on a par with general students. A caste column was introduced in the attendance sheet. Though they announce in press releases that accommodation and food are free for SC/ ST students, rent and fees are collected. Only when we oppose it, it gets refunded. Though Article 28/1 says there should not be any religious symbol in educational institutions, they have installed a Saraswati statue long before the installation of an Ambedkar statue. There are hundreds of cases to prove our allegations," he explained. Dwarakanath CS, former chairman of Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes, said he was prevented by security personnel from delivering a speech on Ambedkar last year. "I'm told there have been clashes between Dalit students and the varsity management for years. When we visited the campus at the request of Dalit students, we just offered a garland to the Ambedkar statue but were not allowed to speak about him. Many Dalit students shared that they are depressed by the casteist atrocities. Now, both the govt and the varsity management should consider the suicide of a Dalit student seriously," he said. K Neela, a social activist in Kalaburagi, alleged that the varsity is turning anti-women and anti-minorities too in recent years. When contacted, prof Battu Satyanarayana, CUK vice-chancellor, said: "The anti-women allegation is false. Girl students outnumber boy students in our varsity. We are providing all facilities to all students irrespective of caste and creed. During admission, we follow reservation rules. It is our duty to provide equal opportunities to all. We have not introduced caste columns in attendance. We will ask caste and category only during the admission to follow the reservation system. There is no caste-based discrimination in the campus. We are following UGC guidelines and norms specified by the Constitution." Responding to the recent suicide case, the VC said they did not know the student's caste until it was raised. "Security personnel might have broken the room door assuming that she might be alive and needed immediate medical care. After learning about her death, we immediately informed the police, who in turn informed her parents. Her parents informed us that she had some health issues," he stated. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Friendship Day wishes , messages and quotes !
Time of India
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