According to the Federal Elections Commission (FEC), Karen E. Gilbert, one of the lead prosecutors in the case against President Trump for mishandling White House documents, has made campaign donations in the past to Barack Obama, Joe Biden, and the Democratic National Committee. Congressman Matt Gaetz (R-FL) has brought attention to these donations and has written a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland requesting more information about the staff working on the special counsel’s case.
Trump supporters brought attention to the issue while the ex-president was undergoing arraignment in Miami on social media.
It appears that Gilbert, who works for the Department of Justice in Florida, donated $1,000 to Biden and $250 to the Biden Action Fund during the 2019-20 cycle. Gilbert also made donations of $500 to the Democratic National Committee in 2013, $800 to Obama during the 2011-12 election cycle, and $1250 to Obama in 2007-08.
Fox News reported,
Rep. Matt Gaetz, R- Fla., sent a letter Tuesday to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland demanding information on the office of special counsel Jack Smith, revealing that one of the prosecutors on his team investigating Trump for his alleged mishandling of classified documents previously contributed to President Biden’s 2020 campaign and faced misconduct allegations in 2009.
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Gaetz is demanding that the names of all the people working on the case in Smith’s office be made public.
The congressman claimed in his letter that Smith’s past work “is both highly irregular and of extraordinary public concern,” specifically “how his office is structured,” and is giving Garland until July 7 to cough up “all staff rosters, phone lists, or similar records, within the custody or control of the Department of Justice, depicting all employees hired by or detailed to the office of Special Counsel Jack Smith.”
Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who investigated then-President Trump for “Russia collusion,” was criticized for appointing attorneys who had previously donated to Hillary Clinton’s campaign, and one who had served as an attorney for the Clinton Foundation, a family charity that came under fire from Clinton’s opponents. Smith has now taken over Mueller’s position.
Gilbert is known for being controversial due to a past incident where a federal judge admonished her for recording a defense lawyer and investigator without their knowledge. On Tuesday, Smith’s team and President Trump both appeared in federal court in Miami for his arraignment, which marks the first time a president or former president has done so.