it CANT be allowed to be a factor....he CANNOT use political activity as a motivating factor...that INVALIDATES everything he might do.
the republicans have been screaming about the DOJ being weaponized against them, jordan wants to investigate the FBI because he says they've been weaponized against the republican party by the Biden administration...so Smith CANNOT be visibly politically motivated in ANY WAY...he must be impartial, politically. MUST BE.
the only relevant way he can examine or use political activity is if it is inextricably intertwined with the crime he is prosecuting them for, and then he has to be careful and make it clear that the crime is his focus, and not it's political results.
the republicans will be trashing wildly, looking for a way out, and for smith to even hint at political bias would open a fucking freeway off ramp of away out.