{"id":14565,"date":"2026-07-23T11:42:23","date_gmt":"2026-07-23T06:42:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=14565"},"modified":"2026-07-23T11:42:23","modified_gmt":"2026-07-23T06:42:23","slug":"rep-jim-jordan-formally-asks-doj-to-prosecute-jack-smith-over-congressional-testimony","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=14565","title":{"rendered":"Rep. Jim Jordan formally asks DOJ to prosecute Jack Smith over congressional testimony"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p id=\"anchor-a1a4da\" class=\"body-graf\">The top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee sent a letter to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/justice-department\" target=\"_blank\">Justice Department<\/a> on Wednesday requesting a criminal investigation of former special counsel Jack Smith, alleging he made false statements during a congressional deposition last year.<\/p>\n<p><button class=\"styles_subscriptionCTA__LOUeY\" id=\"subscriptionCTA\" type=\"button\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,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\" alt=\"NBC News Icon\" class=\"styles_icon__wRwWv\" aria-hidden=\"true\"\/><\/p>\n<div class=\"styles_textWrapper__vxvko\">\n<p class=\"styles_text__daaVB styles_textLarge__qlzwu\">Subscribe to read this story ad-free<\/p>\n<p class=\"styles_text__daaVB\">Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/rockcms\/2026-01\/arrow-f55fa5.svg\" alt=\"arrow\" class=\"styles_arrow__tnruW\" aria-hidden=\"true\"\/><\/button><\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-967fdf\" class=\"body-graf\">Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, wrote in a letter to acting Attorney General Todd Blanche that Smith \u201cseemingly made willfully and intentionally false statements of material fact that contradict new documents\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/trump-administration\/live-blog\/trump-iran-congress-kagan-barrett-darline-graham-ice-doj-live-updates-rcna587383\/rcrd117129?canonicalCard=true\" target=\"_blank\">the Senate Judiciary Committee obtained<\/a> this month.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-c951e5\" class=\"body-graf\">Jordan asked the Justice Department to investigate Smith for a criminal charge, <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/JudiciaryGOP\/status\/2080106762867191820?s=20\" target=\"_blank\">writing that<\/a> his committee found \u201cstrong evidence\u201d against him.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-040546\" class=\"body-graf\">A spokesperson for the Justice Department confirmed receipt of the referral and said Wednesday that it \u201cwill investigate all evidence of criminal conduct.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"styles_inlineImage__FvnTh styles_medium__MEKii\" id=\"anchor-7ba033\"><picture class=\"styles_image__i32F7\" data-testid=\"picture\" data-flavor=\"fit\" data-original-height=\"1467\" data-original-width=\"2200\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1000px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-560w,f_avif,q_auto:eco,dpr_2\/rockcms\/2026-07\/260722-Jim-Jordan-aa-1018-c1cc02.jpg 2x, https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-560w,f_auto,q_auto:best\/rockcms\/2026-07\/260722-Jim-Jordan-aa-1018-c1cc02.jpg 1x\"\/><source media=\"(min-width: 320px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-760w,f_avif,q_auto:eco,dpr_2\/rockcms\/2026-07\/260722-Jim-Jordan-aa-1018-c1cc02.jpg 2x, https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-760w,f_auto,q_auto:best\/rockcms\/2026-07\/260722-Jim-Jordan-aa-1018-c1cc02.jpg 1x\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-760w,f_auto,q_auto:best\/rockcms\/2026-07\/260722-Jim-Jordan-aa-1018-c1cc02.jpg\" alt=\"Former US Special Counsel Jack Smith Testifies Before House Judiciary Committee\" height=\"1467\" width=\"2200\"\/><\/picture><figcaption class=\"caption styles_caption__TCewG\" data-testid=\"caption\"><span class=\"caption__container\" data-testid=\"caption__container\">Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, looks on as Smith testifies in January. <\/span><span class=\"caption__source\" data-testid=\"caption__source\">Al Drago \/ Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p id=\"anchor-97b35c\" class=\"body-graf\">Smith has long been a target of President Donald Trump, who <a href=\"https:\/\/truthsocial.com\/@realDonaldTrump\/posts\/115939889414201547\" target=\"_blank\">has disparaged him<\/a> over his prosecutions of Trump.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-9c7b9c\" class=\"body-graf\">Fox News <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/jack-smith-hit-criminal-referral-gop-moves-testimony-fight-toward-prosecution\" target=\"_blank\">first reported<\/a> Jordan\u2019s referral.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-07bbd8\" class=\"body-graf\">In a letter to Jordan and Blanche, attorneys for Smith denied that he made any false statements during his deposition, writing that he \u201cprovided truthful, responsive answers and candidly discussed his work as Special Counsel.\u201d<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-8b1aab\" class=\"body-graf\">\u201cThe referral is made not because Mr. Smith made a false statement \u2014 the letter concedes he did not \u2014 but because he did not proactively disclose information that was not responsive to a question asked,\u201d lawyers Peter Koski and Lanny Breuer wrote. <\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-6a1cc5\" class=\"body-graf\">The pair said the referral \u201creflects a chilling eagerness to weaponize the justice system by attacking a career, nonpartisan public servant who faithfully and fearlessly performed his duties by following the facts and the law.\u201d<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-2ffd84\" class=\"body-graf\">As special counsel, Smith oversaw two investigations beginning in 2022. One focused on election interference in the 2020 presidential election and the other on allegations that Trump mishandled classified documents after his first term ended. Trump denied any wrongdoing in both cases, which were dismissed in 2024 after he was elected to a second term. Longstanding DOJ policy prevents a sitting president from being prosecuted.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-79e23e\" class=\"body-graf\">Jordan cited an exchange from Smith\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/justice-department\/jack-smith-tells-congress-prove-trump-engaged-criminal-scheme-overturn-rcna249715\" target=\"_blank\">deposition before the committee on Dec. 17<\/a>, when Smith was asked whether he sought a \u201csearch warrant for the content of any text messages from Members.\u201d<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-a29720\" class=\"body-graf\">Smith responded, \u201cNo, I don\u2019t recall that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-9f53ea\" class=\"body-graf\">Asked whether he had asked only for toll records of the members of Congress, Smith said, \u201cCorrect.\u201d<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-b6d37a\" class=\"body-graf\">Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., the ranking member of the committee, said in a statement Wednesday that Jordan\u2019s referral \u201cdeliberately distorts and misstates the facts, including what questions the Republicans actually asked at Mr. Smith\u2019s interview.\u201d <\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-df7320\" class=\"body-graf\">\u201cCongressional Republicans never asked Jack Smith about presidential records,\u201d Raskin said.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-d17ce0\" class=\"body-graf\">Raskin argued that committee Republicans did not ask whether the messages from lawmakers were found on White House officials\u2019 phones, whether the presidential records Smith subpoenaed included the messages or whether Smith\u2019s team had ever \u201creviewed text messages from Members.\u201d<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-654df0\" class=\"body-graf\">\u201cJack Smith could not have lied because Republican Members never even asked the question their theory is based on,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-f011a9\" class=\"body-graf\">Senate Republicans said last week that they had obtained documents from the Justice Department revealing Smith and his team<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/trump-administration\/live-blog\/trump-iran-congress-kagan-barrett-darline-graham-ice-doj-live-updates-rcna587383\/rcrd117129?canonicalCard=true\" target=\"_blank\"> reviewed text messages sent by 44 members of Congress<\/a> as part of their investigations into Trump.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-11b2b1\" class=\"body-graf\">The documents the Senate Judiciary Committee obtained show that the messages were sent by lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, but mostly Republicans, to White House officials during Trump\u2019s first term.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-32c446\" class=\"body-graf\">Smith\u2019s team received the text messages from the National Archives and Records Administration in August 2023. They included text messages from October 2020 through Jan. 21, 2021, the committee said on July 14.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-164a77\" class=\"body-graf\">The Senate Judiciary Committee argued that because Smith\u2019s team had not waited for a \u201cFilter Team\u201d to evaluate and segregate \u201cprivileged information\u201d out of those messages, Smith and his team violated protections ensured by the Constitution\u2019s Speech and Debate Clause. <\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-ccdbac\" class=\"body-graf\">\u201cSmith\u2019s team ran roughshod over the Constitution even after repeated warnings,\u201d committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, said in a statement on July 14. \u201cJack Smith has answering to do, and I intend to have him before the Senate Judiciary Committee in the coming months to hold him accountable.\u201d<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-a65fe7\" class=\"endmark body-graf\">Grassley was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.judiciary.senate.gov\/press\/rep\/releases\/news-jack-smiths-investigative-team-secretly-obtained-text-messages-from-44-members-of-congress-amid-trump-probe\" target=\"_blank\">on the list of members whose messages were reviewed<\/a>, along with Jordan, former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., and longtime Sens. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Rand Paul, R-Ky.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee sent a letter to the Justice Department on Wednesday requesting a criminal investigation of former special counsel Jack Smith, alleging he made false statements during a congressional deposition last year. Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content. Committee Chairman&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":14566,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_nbcnews-fp-1200-630,f_auto,q_auto:best\/rockcms\/2026-07\/260722-Jack-Smith-aa-1018-654d04.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14565","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news-hub"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14565","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=14565"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14565\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/14566"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=14565"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=14565"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=14565"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}