New Delhi, Aug. 4 -- The US Office of Special Counsel (OSC), a federal watchdog agency, has opened an investigation into Jack Smith, the former Justice Department special counsel who brought two criminal cases against Donald Trump ahead of his return to the White House.

The probe, confirmed by the OSC on Saturday, follows accusations that Smith may have violated the Hatch Act-a law prohibiting federal employees from engaging in partisan political activity-during his investigations into the then President-candidate.

Smith was appointed in November 2022 by then-Attorney General Merrick Garland to serve as special counsel investigating Trump. He later brought two high-profile cases in 2023: one accusing Trump of conspiring to overturn the ...