Jim Jordan Refers Jack Smith to DOJ for Alleged False Statements
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan has referred former special counsel Jack Smith to the Department of Justice (DOJ) for potential prosecution. Jordan accuses Smith of making false statements during his testimony to Congress.
In a letter to Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, Jordan, a Republican, argues that newly released DOJ records contradict Smith’s previous statements. These records pertain to his office’s access to communications involving members of Congress during investigations of President Donald Trump.
Jordan has asked the DOJ to assess whether Smith’s testimony broke federal laws related to false statements.
Details of the Allegations
The referral follows allegations from Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, also a Republican. Grassley claims to have records showing that Smith’s team accessed text messages from 44 members of Congress, including Grassley himself.
“The DOJ confirmed that Jack Smith’s team reviewed the contents of texts from 44 CONGRESS MEMBERS. I am alerting my colleagues and will release these records with Senator Johnson,” Grassley said on X.
Jordan argues that the records indicate investigators reviewed communications before a “filter team” conducted a standard review to protect privileged material. Republicans assert this conflicts with Smith’s testimony, which suggested neither he nor his team accessed lawmakers’ privileged texts.
Democrat Jamie Raskin, ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, criticized the referral. He stated, “This referral distorts facts and misrepresents what questions were asked during Smith’s interview. Republicans blame Smith for not providing information they didn’t request. This is absurd. Mr. Smith is not telepathic,” according to Fox News.
Understanding the Referral Process
A congressional criminal referral does not directly result in charges. It asks the DOJ to decide whether further investigation or prosecution is necessary.
The DOJ has not yet announced if it will pursue these allegations against Smith. Smith has consistently defended his work, maintaining that his investigations into Trump complied with the law.
Former Palm Beach County State Attorney Dave Aronberg told Newsweek that “This is performative politics pretending to be legal oversight. A congressional referral holds no direct legal weight. It’s a partisan suggestion, not a criminal charge. The Justice Department might open an inquiry to appease the President, but this is not a legitimate criminal matter. It’s an attempt to misuse oversight for political retaliation.”
This story is evolving, and updates will follow as more information becomes available.