Stay up to date with notifications from The IndependentNotifications can be managed in browser preferences.AllNewsSportCultureLifestyleFormer Special Counsel Jack Smith prepares to depart after testifying before the House Judiciary Committee about his criminal investigation of U.S. President Donald Trump, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., January 22, 2026 (Reuters)Special Counsel Jack Smith's investigation into Donald Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election obtained text messages from 44 members of Congress. The communications included messages from 40 Republican lawmakers, 4 Democrats, and senior Trump administration officials, including Mark Meadows and Mike Pence. These text messages were secured through a subpoena to the National Archives for government phone records covering October 2020 through January 2021. Senators Chuck Grassley and Ron Johnson released these records, criticizing Smith's team for an "overly broad investigation" and raising concerns about privilege review processes. Both federal cases against Trump were dismissed following his victory in the 2024 presidential election, in line with Justice Department policy against prosecuting a sitting president. In fullJack Smith secretly collected texts from 44 members of Congress, GOP senators sayMore bulletinsThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in

DOJ records showed Jack Smith’s team reviewed text messages involving 44 members of Congress after apparently bypassing a filter team.

Stay up to date with notifications from The IndependentNotifications can be managed in browser preferences.AllNewsSportCultureLifestyleFormer Special Counsel Jack Smith prepares…

Former Special Counsel Jack Smith is facing renewed scrutiny after newly released DOJ records, disclosed by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley and Sen. Ron…

Jack Smith’s legacy is in jeopardy after DOJ material showed his team accessed lawmakers’ text messages during the Trump investigations.