Jack Smith doubles down against GOP accusations he lied under oath

Key Points:

• Former special counsel Jack Smith denies wrongdoing after House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan referred him to the DOJ for potential criminal charges, accusing Smith of lying under oath during a deposition in December 2025.
• Smith's attorneys rejected the referral as "meritless," arguing that Smith answered truthfully and that the referral is a politically motivated attempt to undermine a nonpartisan public servant.
• The referral centers on Smith's testimony about whether his team accessed the content of privileged text messages from members of Congress, which Smith initially denied, stating they only sought telephone toll records.
• Documents revealed Smith's team reviewed text messages of 44 lawmakers and White House staff during investigations into former President Trump, raising GOP concerns about constitutional privacy violations.
• The DOJ confirmed receipt of the referral and will investigate, while Smith's lawyers maintain that reviewing text messages between legislative and executive branch members did not violate constitutional protections under the speech and debate clause.