Committee refers Jack Smith to DOJ over false testimony

The House Judiciary Committee has formally referred former Special Counsel Jack Smith to the Department of Justice for a potential criminal prosecution, alleging he lied under oath to Congress about his team's access to the content of lawmakers' text messages. Committee Chairman Jim Jordan transmitted the referral to Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche on Wednesday, July 22, 2026.

Jordan's letter alleges that Smith made false statements during a closed-door deposition on December 17, 2025. Specifically, Jordan contends Smith testified that his team's requests for "toll records," or telephone metadata, of members of Congress did not include the content of text messages. Jordan claims newly released Justice Department records contradict this testimony, showing Smith's team obtained and read the text messages of 44 lawmakers from both parties without using a legally required "filter team" to screen for privileged communications. The lawmakers reportedly included Jordan himself, Senator Chuck Grassley, and other prominent figures such as Senator Lindsey Graham and former Vice President Mike Pence.

In the referral, Jordan wrote that Smith's responses gave the false impression his...