Republicans in Congress Urge Justice Department to Investigate Former Prosecutor Jack Smith
House Republicans have requested a criminal investigation into former special counsel Jack Smith, alleging he provided false testimony regarding the collection of lawmaker phone records. Smith's legal team has denied the allegations, calling the referral a political attempt to weaponize the justice system.
Why it matters
The move reflects ongoing political polarization and the use of congressional oversight to target former investigators of the Trump administration.
House Republicans are urging the Justice Department to launch a criminal investigation into former special counsel Jack Smith, alleging that Smith made false statements last year about his effort to gather phone records of lawmakers.
House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan, a Republican from Ohio, wrote DOJ late Wednesday to argue Smith "seemingly made willfully and intentionally false statements" when he answered questions under oath last December.
The criminal referral of Smith marks yet another step in a campaign by the Trump administration and its allies in Congress to pursue people who once investigated Trump. The Justice Department already has attempted to initiate criminal cases against former FBI Director Jim Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James .
Smith has been a frequent target of Trump's ire on social media. "Justice at last???" Trump posted in the early morning hours Thursday amid news of the criminal referral.
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