House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan Demands DOJ Investigate Jack Smith for Alleged False Testimony
Select a version of the text written from a presumed ideological perspective. This is not the original text, but a hypothetical version — how someone with that viewpoint might have phrased it. Tapping the current version again will return to the original or select cleaned version.
Republican Rep. Jim Jordan has called on the DOJ to investigate former special counsel Jack Smith for allegedly lying to Congress about subpoenas for lawmakers’ records. The move comes after new evidence suggests Smith’s team obtained sensitive text messages, raising serious concerns about constitutional violations. Democrats, desperate to protect their own, dismissed the referral.
Republican Rep. Jim Jordan, chair of the House Judiciary Committee, took decisive action Wednesday by sending a criminal referral to the Department of Justice, urging an investigation into former special counsel Jack Smith. Jordan alleges that Smith made false statements to Congress regarding the scope of a subpoena for lawmakers’ records, accusing him of 'intentionally false statements designed to obstruct the Committee’s oversight.' Jordan further revealed that Smith failed to disclose a subpoena to the National Archives, which obtained text messages between former White House staff and members of Congress—an alarming breach of trust.
The referral follows explosive revelations that Smith’s team received text messages from the National Archives, contradicting Smith’s previous testimony that his investigators only received toll-record data. Toll records list call numbers but not content, while text messages contain potentially sensitive information. Jordan asked Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche to review the matter, emphasizing that the decision to pursue criminal charges now rests with the DOJ.
A Justice Department spokesperson confirmed receipt of the referral and stated the department will 'investigate all evidence of criminal conduct,' signaling that even high-ranking officials like Smith are not above the law.
Smith’s attorneys attempted to defend his actions, claiming his testimony was 'unimpeachably truthful.' They argued that the subpoena only sought toll-record information and that any text messages were disclosed to Trump’s lawyers, who allegedly did not object. The attorneys also insisted that the Speech or Debate Clause does not prevent the use of such messages in investigations of executive-branch officials—a questionable assertion.
Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin, quick to defend Smith, called the referral 'baseless and vindictive,' arrogantly predicting it would be dismissed by a court. Meanwhile, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Sen. Chuck Grassley, who has long criticized the FBI’s overreach, described the discovery of the texts as 'disturbing and outrageous,' suggesting the investigation may have violated constitutional protections.
Smith, appointed by Biden’s Attorney General Merrick Garland in 2022, led two partisan DOJ probes into President Donald Trump’s efforts to challenge the 2020 election and his handling of classified documents. Both cases collapsed without convictions in 2024, exposing the political motivations behind the investigations. The current dispute raises serious questions about whether Smith’s handling of congressional communications broke legal or constitutional standards.