Jim Jordan requests criminal investigation into Jack Smith for allegedly making false statements to Congress during his testimony.
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan has formally requested that the Justice Department criminally investigate Jack Smith for allegedly providing false testimony to Congress. The referral stems from a December deposition where Smith, who previously served as special counsel for President Trump, testified that his team did not seek search warrants for the content of congressional text messages. Jordan argues that Smith provided a "half-truth" because his team actually obtained messages from 44 members of Congress while investigating the January 6 riot. However, Smith’s lawyers, Lanny A. Breuer and Peter Koski, defended the testimony as "unimpeachably truthful," noting that Smith was specifically asked about toll records rather than the content of the messages. They argued that the referral relies on a "dangerous" theory that a witness is liable for failing to proactively disclose information that was not directly asked. The administration announced it will review the referral. While the Justice Department has historically investigated those who criticized the president, Smith’s defense maintains that the move is a politically motivated attempt to weaponize the justice system against a nonpartisan public servant.