Jim Jordan Criticizes Jack Smith for Misleading Congress

House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan has accused former Special Counsel Jack Smith of misleading Congress. Jordan claims that Smith denied under oath that he obtained text messages from lawmakers, while evidence suggests he did obtain messages for 44 members.

Jordan emphasizes the importance of the Speech or Debate Clause and criticizes Smith’s team for not filtering privileged legislative communications. He calls for accountability in handling such sensitive information.

Fox News revealed that Smith’s investigators obtained records of communications between nearly 50 journalists and Trump administration officials. This was part of an investigation into federal election activities linked to President Donald Trump.

Previous disclosures showed that Smith’s investigation included records involving members of Congress. Recent records also highlight interactions between journalists and government officials.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley questioned the lack of media coverage of this investigation, labeling it as government overreach. He challenged partisan media to address this issue.

In December 2025, Jack Smith appeared before the House Judiciary Committee for a closed-door deposition. Smith faced scrutiny for his role in leading investigations related to President Trump’s actions.

David Bozell, president of the Media Research Center, criticized the lack of media coverage on Smith’s actions. Bozell noted that major broadcast networks did not cover the alleged surveillance of conservative groups and senators.

Records obtained by Smith’s team included communications from a range of media organizations, such as Fox News, CNN, NBC News, and more.

The subpoena issued by Smith’s office in June 2023 to the National Archives sought text messages from officials in the Trump White House. Responsive records were produced in August 2023.

Grassley and Senator Ron Johnson pressed for details on how potentially privileged materials were screened before investigators accessed them. They requested information on the protocols employed to protect privileged information.

The committee has identified the journalists involved but will not disclose their names for privacy reasons.

The Senate Judiciary Committee is set to examine Smith’s investigative methods, especially concerning the Arctic Frost investigation.