House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan has requested a criminal investigation into Jack Smith, alleging the former special counsel made false statements during a congressional deposition.
Key facts
- •Jim Jordan requested a criminal investigation into Jack Smith for allegedly making false statements during a deposition.
- •The Justice Department confirmed it received the referral and will investigate evidence of criminal conduct.
- •Smith’s attorneys stated he provided truthful answers and did not proactively disclose information that was not responsive to the questions asked.
- •Senate Judiciary Committee documents show Smith’s team reviewed text messages from 44 members of Congress sent to White House officials.
- •Rep. Jamie Raskin stated that the referral misrepresents the questions asked during the interview.
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, sent a letter to the Justice Department on Wednesday requesting a criminal investigation into former special counsel Jack Smith. Jordan alleges that Smith provided intentionally false statements during a congressional deposition last year, citing documents recently obtained by the Senate Judiciary Committee. The Justice Department confirmed receipt of the referral and stated it will investigate all evidence of criminal conduct.
Dispute over deposition testimony
The referral centers on a December 17 deposition where Smith was asked if he had sought a search warrant for the content of text messages from members of Congress. Smith confirmed he had only asked for toll records. Jordan argues this contradicts documents showing Smith’s team reviewed text messages sent by 44 members of Congress to White House officials between October 2020 and January 2021. Attorneys for Smith, Peter Koski and Lanny Breuer, denied the allegations, stating that Smith provided truthful answers. They argued the referral is an attempt to weaponize the justice system and noted that Smith was not asked if the messages were found on White House officials' phones or if his team had reviewed messages from lawmakers.
Senate committee concerns
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, stated that Smith’s team violated the Constitution’s Speech and Debate Clause by reviewing the messages without waiting for a 'Filter Team' to segregate privileged information. Grassley, who was among the members whose messages were reviewed, indicated he intends to call Smith before the Senate committee in the coming months. Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., the ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, criticized Jordan’s referral, stating it distorts the facts of the original interview. Raskin argued that committee Republicans never asked the specific questions necessary to support their claim that Smith lied.
Timeline
- August 2023Smith’s team received text messages from the National Archives and Records Administration.
- December 17Jack Smith testified before the House Judiciary Committee.
- July 14The Senate Judiciary Committee stated that Smith’s team violated constitutional protections by reviewing messages without a filter team.
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This article was independently rewritten by ManyPress editorial AI from reporting originally published by NBC Politics.
