The witch hunts never stop. But now some of the hunters are getting their just deserts.
Now a former Trump prosecutor got hit with a devastating criminal referral.
Jack Smith Faces Criminal Referral as GOP Accuses Him of Lying to Congress About Spying on Lawmakers
Former special counsel Jack Smith could face criminal prosecution after House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, issued a criminal referral Wednesday accusing Smith of misleading Congress about the scope of his investigation into President Donald Trump, including whether his team read lawmakers’ private text messages.
Jordan Accuses Smith of Deliberately Deceiving Congress
Jordan’s referral argues that newly released records contradict Smith’s testimony to the committee, in which he denied obtaining or reviewing lawmakers’ text messages during his multiple investigations into Trump.
“All individuals have an obligation to comply with a duly authorized congressional inquiry. Mr. Smith, a former public servant, is no different,” Jordan wrote in a letter to acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “Yet his testimony included intentionally false statements designed to obstruct the Committee’s oversight.”
“His conduct can only be understood as an effort to thwart the Committee’s inquiry by intentionally making false statements and representations before Congress,” Jordan continued, calling on the Justice Department to examine whether Smith’s actions warrant criminal charges.
Jordan’s letter accused Smith of making false statements during a December deposition, arguing that “responses provided by Mr. Smith gave the impression that neither Mr. Smith nor his team had access to the content of members’ privileged text messages.”
“We now know this to be false,” the letter said.
Grassley Documents Reveal Scope of Alleged Surveillance
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, released documents last week showing Smith’s team read the text messages of 44 members of Congress from both parties, as well as White House staff, during its investigation. Targeted lawmakers reportedly included Jordan and Grassley in addition to the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., and Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J.
Trump officials swept up included former Vice President Mike Pence, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, FBI Director Kash Patel and Ivanka Trump, among others in the president’s orbit.
Grassley’s office also found that Smith’s team appeared to violate investigative protocols by accessing text messages that had not been reviewed by a “filter team” — a safeguard designed to prevent investigators from accessing privileged information.
Smith Previously Told Lawmakers He Sought Only Toll Records
When Smith was asked by congressional investigators whether he examined the contents of lawmakers’ text messages during his probe, he said, “no,” telling the House Judiciary Committee that his team only sought telephone toll records.
“Toll records were sought for historical telephone routing information, collected after calls had taken place, identifying the incoming and outgoing call numbers, the time of the calls and their duration,” Smith testified in December. “Toll records do not include the content of calls.”
The referral comes after Smith faced mounting scrutiny from Republicans over allegations that he weaponized the Justice Department and violated constitutional privacy protections during his investigations into alleged interference in the 2020 election and Trump’s handling of classified documents. Smith has denied any wrongdoing.
