The highest Republican on the Home Judiciary Committee despatched a letter to the Justice Division on Wednesday requesting a prison investigation of former particular counsel Jack Smith, alleging he made false statements throughout a congressional deposition final yr.
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Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, wrote in a letter to appearing Legal professional Basic Todd Blanche that Smith “seemingly made willfully and deliberately false statements of fabric undeniable fact that contradict new paperwork” the Senate Judiciary Committee obtained this month.
Jordan requested the Justice Division to research Smith for a prison cost, writing that his committee discovered “sturdy proof” towards him.
A spokesperson for the Justice Division confirmed receipt of the referral and stated Wednesday that it “will examine all proof of prison conduct.”
Smith has lengthy been a goal of President Donald Trump, who has disparaged him over his prosecutions of Trump.
Fox Information first reported Jordan’s referral.
In a letter to Jordan and Blanche, attorneys for Smith denied that he made any false statements throughout his deposition, writing that he “supplied truthful, responsive solutions and candidly mentioned his work as Particular Counsel.”
“The referral is made not as a result of Mr. Smith made a false assertion — the letter concedes he didn’t — however as a result of he didn’t proactively disclose data that was not aware of a query requested,” attorneys Peter Koski and Lanny Breuer wrote.
The pair stated the referral “displays a chilling eagerness to weaponize the justice system by attacking a profession, nonpartisan public servant who faithfully and fearlessly carried out his duties by following the information and the legislation.”
As particular counsel, Smith oversaw two investigations starting in 2022. One targeted on election interference within the 2020 presidential election and the opposite on allegations that Trump mishandled categorized paperwork after his first time period ended. Trump denied any wrongdoing in each circumstances, which have been dismissed in 2024 after he was elected to a second time period. Longstanding DOJ coverage prevents a sitting president from being prosecuted.
Jordan cited an alternate from Smith’s deposition earlier than the committee on Dec. 17, when Smith was requested whether or not he sought a “search warrant for the content material of any textual content messages from Members.”
Smith responded, “No, I don’t recall that.”
Requested whether or not he had requested just for toll information of the members of Congress, Smith stated, “Appropriate.”
Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., the rating member of the committee, stated in an announcement Wednesday that Jordan’s referral “intentionally distorts and misstates the information, together with what questions the Republicans truly requested at Mr. Smith’s interview.”
“Congressional Republicans by no means requested Jack Smith about presidential information,” Raskin stated.
Raskin argued that committee Republicans didn’t ask whether or not the messages from lawmakers have been discovered on White Home officers’ telephones, whether or not the presidential information Smith subpoenaed included the messages or whether or not Smith’s crew had ever “reviewed textual content messages from Members.”
“Jack Smith couldn’t have lied as a result of Republican Members by no means even requested the query their principle relies on,” he stated.
Senate Republicans stated final week that they’d obtained paperwork from the Justice Division revealing Smith and his crew reviewed textual content messages despatched by 44 members of Congress as a part of their investigations into Trump.
The paperwork the Senate Judiciary Committee obtained present that the messages have been despatched by lawmakers on each side of the aisle, however principally Republicans, to White Home officers throughout Trump’s first time period.
Smith’s crew acquired the textual content messages from the Nationwide Archives and Data Administration in August 2023. They included textual content messages from October 2020 by means of Jan. 21, 2021, the committee stated on July 14.
The Senate Judiciary Committee argued that as a result of Smith’s crew had not waited for a “Filter Staff” to judge and segregate “privileged data” out of these messages, Smith and his crew violated protections ensured by the Structure’s Speech and Debate Clause.
“Smith’s crew ran roughshod over the Structure even after repeated warnings,” committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, stated in an announcement on July 14. “Jack Smith has answering to do, and I intend to have him earlier than the Senate Judiciary Committee within the coming months to carry him accountable.”
Grassley was on the checklist of members whose messages have been reviewed, together with Jordan, former Home Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., and longtime Sens. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Rand Paul, R-Ky.
