House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan has accused former Special Counsel Jack Smith of misleading Congress. He claims that Smith denied obtaining text messages from lawmakers under oath, yet evidence shows Smith’s team obtained messages from 44 members. Jordan emphasizes the importance of the Speech or Debate Clause, arguing that Smith’s team did not properly filter privileged legislative communications, and calls for accountability.
FIRST ON FOX: Investigators under former Special Counsel Jack Smith gained access to records involving communications between almost 50 journalists and Trump administration officials. This discovery emerged after subpoenas for text-message records from dozens of White House phones during an investigation into President Donald Trump. Fox News Digital learned about this prior to a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing set for Tuesday.
Previous disclosures in Congress showed that investigators obtained records involving members of Congress. The latest data reveals that communications with journalists from major news organizations, including Fox News, were also accessed. These communications were part of records from the National Archives, responding to a subpoena for material from 87 White House phones from Trump’s first administration. This information was revealed by a spokesperson for Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, citing whistleblower disclosures.
What will the partisan media say about this disgraceful government overreach? This wasn’t a normal prosecution by any means.
Grassley expressed this sentiment to Fox News Digital, criticizing the lack of media coverage and concern over Smith’s investigation.
One organization affected by the investigation was the Media Research Center. Its president stated in 2025 that no broadcast network covered Smith’s alleged surveillance of conservative groups and senators. The probe’s records include communications with journalists from organizations such as CNN, CBS News, NBC News, CNBC, and also from the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Bloomberg, Los Angeles Times, and more.
The records come from a June 2, 2023, subpoena issued by Smith’s office to the National Archives, targeting text messages from phones of officials who worked during Trump’s first term.
Lately, Sen. Chuck Grassley and Senate Judiciary Republicans have discussed whistleblower documents indicating 197 subpoenas during Jack Smith’s Arctic Frost investigation. They are questioning how potentially privileged materials were screened before investigator access, looking into DOJ’s filtering protocols and the officials involved.
An email from August 2023 highlighted assistant special counsel Thomas Windom instructing Smith’s team to download material from White House phones. Grassley and Johnson have inquired about Smith’s procedures for filtering privileged communications, asking for a list of officials who reviewed such materials before they reached investigation teams.
The Judiciary Committee will scrutinize Smith’s investigative practices and Arctic Frost’s broader scope during the upcoming Senate hearing. Meanwhile, communications involving journalists will remain private due to privacy concerns, as confirmed by a Grassley spokesperson.
Fox News Digital continues to seek comments from Smith’s counsel and the Justice Department.