Judge Blocks Trump Administration From Enforcing New Conditions on DHS Grants 
Netanyahu Requests Presidential Pardon Amid Ongoing Corruption Trial 
U.S. Repatriation Flight Carrying 266 Venezuelan Migrants Lands in Caracas 
U.S. Soybean Shipments to China Gain Momentum as Trade Tensions Ease 
Key Witness Seeks to Block Evidence in Potential Revival of Comey Case 
U.S.–Russia Peace Talks Stall as Kremlin Rejects Key Proposals 
UPS MD-11 Crash Prompts Families to Prepare Wrongful Death Lawsuit 
Federal Judge Blocks Trump Administration’s Medicaid Funding Restrictions Targeting Planned Parenthood 
U.S. Backs Bayer in Supreme Court Battle Over Roundup Cancer Lawsuits 
California Launches Portal for Reporting Alleged Misconduct by Federal Immigration Agents 
Singapore Court Allows $2.7 Billion 1MDB Lawsuit Against Standard Chartered to Proceed 
Hikvision Challenges FCC Rule Tightening Restrictions on Chinese Telecom Equipment 
Trump Administration Halts Immigration, Green Card, and Citizenship Processing for 19 Countries 
Appeals Court Blocks Expansion of Fast-Track Deportations in the U.S. 
Meta Accused of Halting Internal Research on Mental Health Risks of Facebook and Instagram 
Trump Pardons Former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández in Controversial Move 
Trump Administration Tightens H-1B Visa Vetting With New Focus on Free Speech and Censorship 
A U.S. federal agency has launched a formal investigation into former Special Counsel Jack Smith, who led two high-profile criminal probes into President Donald Trump. The Office of Special Counsel (OSC) confirmed to Reuters it is examining whether Smith violated the Hatch Act, which bars federal employees from engaging in political activities using their official positions. The investigation follows a request from Republican Senator Tom Cotton, who accused Smith of politically motivated actions.
The OSC, an independent agency tasked with overseeing federal employee conduct, cannot file criminal charges. This is separate from the Department of Justice’s Special Counsel role Smith previously held. The probe, first reported by the New York Post, adds to ongoing efforts by Trump and his allies to challenge officials involved in cases against him.
Smith, a former war crimes prosecutor, pursued two criminal cases against Trump: one over alleged mishandling of classified documents and another tied to efforts to overturn the 2020 election, which culminated in the January 6 Capitol riot. Both cases stalled amid legal challenges, including a Supreme Court ruling granting broad immunity to former presidents.
After Trump’s election victory, Smith dropped the cases in line with DOJ policy prohibiting prosecution of a sitting president but maintained in a January report that the evidence was sufficient for conviction. Trump has denied any wrongdoing, labeling the investigations politically motivated.
This investigation marks another flashpoint in the ongoing legal and political battles surrounding Trump as he prepares for his return to the White House.
