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Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., floated the opportunity of defunding the U.S. Workplace of Particular Counsel on Wednesday, the day after he pledged to “rein in” Particular Counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into former President Trump.
“There’s plenty of completely different concepts. Individuals are alarmed that the particular counsel, in that capability, has been abused in recent times,” Johnson mentioned in reply to a Fox Information Digital query at his weekly press convention. “How does Congress appropriate that error and be certain that a particular counsel shouldn’t be abusing their authority? You recognize, we’ve oversight, after all, we even have the facility of the purse.”
Johnson turned the best rating congressional lawmaker to help Trump in particular person Tuesday on the Manhattan courthouse, the place the previous president is dealing with a legal trial associated to accusations that he falsified enterprise paperwork to cowl up hush cash funds to grownup movie star Stormy Daniels forward of the 2016 election.
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Speaker Mike Johnson floated the opportunity of defunding the Workplace of the Particular Counsel amid Jack Smith’s probe. (Getty Photos)
That trial is unrelated to Smith’s probes into Trump in reference to the 2020 election and his dealing with of labeled paperwork, however Johnson lambasted these investigations as properly in feedback to reporters after his court docket attendance.
He pledged on Tuesday, “I am working with Chairman [Jim] Jordan of the Home Judiciary Committee and Chairman [James] Comer of our Oversight Committee on measures to rein within the abuses of Particular Counsel Jack Smith.”
Requested by Fox Information Digital on Wednesday what that regarded like, Johnson mentioned, “There’s plenty of completely different concepts being mentioned now on what that might seem like. Do you defund all the Particular Counsel’s Workplace?”
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Particular Counsel Jack Smith is investigating former President Trump. (Donald Trump 2024 marketing campaign)
“What most individuals do not understand is that’s not funded within the common appropriations course of. It is a separate, distinct account, and it is successfully…funded autopilot,” Johnson mentioned.
He mentioned Home Republicans would proceed “actively discussing” varied avenues to carry Smith accountable “even right this moment.”
It is not the primary time Johnson has criticized Smith’s investigations or dismissed them as political operations.
However his feedback on Wednesday got here after he poured chilly water on calls to take Smith’s funding away in a Politico interview final week.
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Speaker Mike Johnson, Vivek Ramaswamy and Rep. Cory Mills stand behind former President Trump within the Manhattan courthouse. (Getty Photos)
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“That’s not one thing you wave a wand and simply eradicate the particular counsel as a provision,” Johnson informed the outlet. “There’s a necessity for a perform like that, as a result of typically the Division of Justice – which is an government department company – can’t essentially, with no battle of curiosity, examine or prosecute the president who’s their boss, or the president’s household.”
When reached for touch upon the completely different statements, Johnson’s workplace referred Fox Information Digital again to the speaker’s feedback within the press convention and to a current X put up when he pledged to “rein in” Smith.
Fox Information Digital additionally reached out to the Justice Division for remark.
Elizabeth Elkind is a politics reporter for Fox Information Digital main protection of the Home of Representatives. Earlier digital bylines seen at Every day Mail and CBS Information.
Observe on Twitter at @liz_elkind and ship tricks to [email protected]
