DistantNews
Support us
Rep. Jim Jordan refers Jack Smith for possible prosecution over testimony
🇺🇸 United States /Crime & Justice

Rep. Jim Jordan refers Jack Smith for possible prosecution over testimony

From PBS NewsHour · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources New plan
  • Republican Rep. Jim Jordan has referred Special Counsel Jack Smith to the Justice Department for potential prosecution over his congressional testimony.
  • Jordan alleges Smith made misleading statements about obtaining lawmakers' phone and text records during the Trump investigation.
  • Smith's lawyers deny the allegations, stating his testimony was truthful and focused specifically on toll records, not message content.

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan has asked the Justice Department to consider prosecuting Special Counsel Jack Smith, alleging that Smith made false statements during his testimony to Congress. The referral centers on Smith's closed-door testimony regarding his investigation into efforts to overturn the 2020 election results.

Did the toll records that you requested from the senators, did they include the content of the phone calls?

— Jack SmithQuestioned during congressional testimony about the scope of his investigation.

Jordan's referral, sent to the Justice Department, focuses on a December 2025 exchange where Smith was questioned about subpoenas for the toll records of Republican lawmakers. Toll records typically include call times, dates, and durations but not the content of communications. Smith answered "No" when asked if the requested toll records included the content of phone calls or text messages.

No.

— Jack SmithAnswering a question about whether toll records included the content of phone calls.

However, Jordan contends that Smith's responses were misleading. He cites newly released records from Sen. Chuck Grassley showing Smith had obtained the content of 44 lawmakers' text messages through a separate subpoena to the National Archives. Jordan argues that Smith's answers gave the impression his team did not access privileged text messages, which he now claims is false. He stated that a false statement can include providing a half-truth or omitting necessary information for accuracy.

The responses provided by Mr. Smith gave the impression that neither Mr. Smith nor his team had access to the content of Members' privileged text messages. We now know this to be false.

— Jim JordanStating his belief that Jack Smith misled Congress.

Lawyers for Jack Smith have strongly refuted Jordan's claims. In a letter to Jordan and Rep. Jamie Raskin, Smith's legal team called his answers "unimpeachably truthful." They emphasized that Smith was responding specifically to questions about toll record subpoenas, which did not contain message content. Smith's lawyers also noted that the referral letter does not dispute the truthfulness of Smith's answers regarding the toll records themselves.

The toll record subpoenas that were the focus of those questions did not call for the content of text messages.

— Smith's lawyersDefending Jack Smith's testimony, asserting it was truthful and specific to toll records.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by PBS NewsHour in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog