House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan accuses former Special Counsel Jack Smith of misleading Congress. Jordan claims Smith denied obtaining text messages from lawmakers, despite evidence showing these were acquired for 44 members. Highlighting the Speech or Debate Clause, Jordan argues Smith’s team did not properly filter privileged legislative communications and urges accountability.
New revelations show that Smith’s investigators gathered records of communications between Trump administration officials and nearly 50 journalists, including those from Fox News. This occurred during the federal election investigation of President Donald Trump. The findings precede a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, and previous disclosures revealed records involving members of Congress.
The National Archives produced these records following a subpoena linked to 87 White House phones from Trump’s first administration. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley expressed concern over what he terms “disgraceful government overreach” and criticized the lack of media coverage of Smith’s probe.
David Bozell, president of the Media Research Center, pointed out that major networks did not cover the alleged spying on conservative groups and senators. Organizations identified in the probe include Fox News, CNN, CBS News, and others.
Records indicate involvement from prominent news outlets like the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, and NPR. The June 2, 2023 subpoena by Smith’s office sought text messages from Trump administration officials.
Senators Chuck Grassley and Ron Johnson are questioning the Justice Department’s handling of potentially privileged material. They demand clarification on protocols used for filtering privileged information. An August 21, 2023 email revealed Smith’s team was advised to download documents linked to White House phone messages.
The Judiciary Committee is set to investigate Smith’s practices and the broader implications of the Arctic Frost investigation. The senators requested details of filtering procedures and officials involved in the review process.
The committee has identified journalists linked to the communication records but will not release names to protect privacy. The disclosure raises questions about how these records were managed and what safeguards were in place.
Fox News Digital is seeking comments from Smith’s counsel and the Justice Department. The investigation and its handling remain a focal point as the Senate hearing approaches.