Former special counsel Jack Smith has denied allegations that his investigation was politically motivated, but he faces mounting criticism over claims he sought to influence the 2024 presidential election.
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) disclosed a legal whistleblower revealed Smith obtained 4,782 checks from Americans who donated to President Donald Trump and pro-Trump entities between 2019 and 2023—often in small amounts.
“Every member on this committee ought to be outraged for what happened to their constituents. Which one of my Democratic colleagues will join me in that outrage?” Grassley demanded during Tuesday’s congressional testimony, adding Smith’s actions “have no legitimate basis.”
Grassley emphasized that donations to Republican groups were unnecessary for the investigation, which failed to mention such contributions in its public report. He warned the Justice Department and FBI would retain thousands of individuals’ sensitive information—including addresses, phone numbers, bank account details, routing numbers, and handwritten signatures.
Republicans on the committee shared redacted images of some checks to illustrate the scale of data collection.
Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) accused Smith of attempting to rig the election, calling him “a deranged partisan fanatic” who “secretly seized GOP lawmakers’ phone records for one reason: to try to swing 2024 and help Democrats win.”
Smith defended his actions, stating he could not recall every subpoena issued but insisted the investigation was necessary to address what he called “one of the most serious crimes that’s ever happened in our nation’s history.” He claimed he had a duty to collect facts.
During questioning, Senator John Kennedy (R-Louisiana) expressed strong disapproval when Smith discussed collecting toll records from congressional phone calls: “You make me want to throw up in my mouth!”
Smith obtained two indictments against President Trump through his investigation—one related to alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election and another concerning unlawful retention of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago. Both were dismissed after Trump’s victory in the 2024 election.
