The Office of Special Counsel just opened a new investigation into Trump and his team

If President Trump thought the conclusion of the Mueller probe meant an end to the incessant investigations into him and his team, he was very much mistaken.

On Monday morning, the Daily Beast reported that the Office of Special Counsel, an “independent federal investigative and prosecutorial agency,” opened a new investigation into the Trump administration and its incredibly shady efforts to sell secret nuclear technology to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The Beast’s Erin Banco reports that “the OSC, which can seek corrective and disciplinary action, is looking at whether officials were retaliated against for raising concerns about the administration’s work related to a Saudi nuclear deal. As part of that investigation, OSC has also reviewed allegations about potentially improper dealings by senior members of the Trump administration in their attempt to map out a nuclear deal with Riyadh, according to two sources with knowledge of OSC’s work.”

The latest probe is part of a larger effort to investigate whether or not government officials were “retaliated against” for raising their well-founded concerns about selling such dangerous technology to the world’s largest sponsor of terrorism.

Given that the president is infamous for his pathological need for obedience and that petulant retaliation has been a defining feature of his entire presidency, it’s not hard to understand why the OSC would be interested in looking in to this — especially since there could have some serious lawbreaking involved as well.

The plan to sell Saudi Arabia nuclear technology began before the 2016 election and has somehow survived — or perhaps survived because of — the constant shuffling of officials in a White House wracked with instability and dysfunction.

A shadowy cabal of Reagan-era ex-generals and admirals called “IP3” began to pitch the plan to the Trump team during the 2016 election, championed by their “advisor” Michael Flynn, who would later be promoted to National Security Advisor before abruptly resigning just two months into the presidency after his secret meetings with Russians  and other foreign lobbying clients were exposed.

Since the ouster of Flynn, the House Oversight Committee has linked Trump inaugural committee chairman Tom Barrack, Senior White House Advisor Jared Kushner, and Energy Secretary Rick Perry to the plans, which were still in development as recently as February of this year.

Government officials and lawmakers alike are deeply concerned about Saudi Arabia’s refusal to sign nuclear non-proliferation treaties, the Trump administration’s efforts to sell the technology without the approval of Congress, and the Trump team’s suspiciously close relationship with the Saudi monarchy and its reckless young despot, Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman.

The concern is well warranted, considering that it is believed that Jared Kushner gave classified information to Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman that may have led to the brutal torture an American citizen. The fact that not a single person from the U.S. embassy was present at the latest round of Kushner-Salman “economic development” meetings in early March is also cause for alarm.

Considering that the Trump administration has shown no compunction about violating the law or going out of their way to punish anyone who complains about what the White House does, the OSC has good reason to investigate — and it’s pretty clear there’s a substantial fire behind all of this smoke.

Original reporting by Erin Banco at the Daily Beast.

Colin Taylor

Managing Editor

Colin Taylor is the managing editor of the Washington Press. He graduated from Bennington College with a Bachelor's degree in history and political science. He now focuses on advancing the cause of social justice, equality, and universal health care in America.