Republicans Call for Investigation of Former Special Counsel Jack Smith

The House Judiciary Committee’s leading Republican has requested a criminal investigation into former special counsel Jack Smith. This move follows allegations of false statements made during a congressional deposition last year. Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, representing Ohio, sent a letter to acting Attorney General Todd Blanche on Wednesday. Jordan accused Smith of making intentionally false statements that contradict new documents acquired by the Senate Judiciary Committee this month.

Jordan’s letter to the Justice Department highlights what he calls ‘strong evidence’ against Smith. In response, a Justice Department spokesperson confirmed receipt of the referral, stating they ‘will investigate all evidence of criminal conduct.’ Meanwhile, Jack Smith, who has been a frequent target of criticism from former President Donald Trump, faces accusations linked to his prior prosecutions of Trump.

Fox News initially reported Jordan’s referral. Attorneys representing Smith responded, denying any false statements were made during the deposition. They asserted that Smith provided truthful answers and discussed his work candidly as Special Counsel. The attorneys criticized the referral, describing it as an attempt to misuse the justice system to attack a nonpartisan public servant.

Smith was appointed Special Counsel in 2022, overseeing investigations into election interference allegations from the 2020 presidential election and accusations regarding Trump’s handling of classified documents after leaving office. Trump denied wrongdoing in both cases, which were eventually dismissed after he was re-elected in 2024 due to Department of Justice policy barring prosecution of a sitting president.

Jordan cited specific exchanges from Smith’s Dec. 17 committee deposition. Smith said he did not recall seeking search warrants for Members’ text messages. When asked about requesting only toll records, Smith confirmed.

Representative Jamie Raskin of Maryland, ranking member of the Judiciary Committee, criticized Jordan’s referral as a deliberate misrepresentation of facts. Raskin asserted that the questions posed to Smith were misunderstood or miscommunicated. He explained that Republicans never queried Smith about presidential records, thus invalidating the basis for alleging false statements.

Senate Republicans recently claimed to have obtained documents proving Smith’s review of text messages from 44 members of Congress as part of investigations concerning Trump. These documents reportedly reveal that messages originated from both parties but predominantly from Republicans, addressing White House officials during Trump’s first term.

Smith’s team accessed these messages from the National Archives in August 2023. The Senate Judiciary Committee, citing the Constitution’s Speech and Debate Clause, argued Smith’s team violated constitutional provisions by not employing a ‘Filter Team’ for segregating privileged information within the messages.

Senator Chuck Grassley, also included among members reviewed, criticized Smith’s approach for allegedly bypassing constitutional protections and stressed a need for Smith’s accountability.