Jack Smith team reviewed contents of texts involving 44 members of Congress, DOJ records show

Published July 14, 2026 3:37pm ET | Updated July 14, 2026 3:38pm ET



Former special counsel Jack Smith’s investigative team reviewed White House records of text messages involving 44 current and former members of Congress after apparently bypassing a team established to screen potentially privileged material, according to newly released Justice Department records.

The communications reviewed under the Biden administration’s DOJ involved mostly Republicans and a handful of Democrats, including Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Ron Johnson (R-WI), Cory Booker (D-NJ), the late Lindsey Graham (R-SC), and Josh Hawley (R-MO). House members included Reps. Jim Jordan (R-OH), Adam Smith (D-WA), and Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), as well as former Rep. Karen Bass, now the Democratic mayor of Los Angeles.

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