DOJ records show Jack Smith team accessed lawmakers texts

Newly released Justice Department records show that former Special Counsel Jack Smith’s investigative team accessed the contents of text messages exchanged between Trump White House officials and 44 members of Congress, bypassing an internal review process designed to protect privileged communications. The disclosure, made public on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley and Senator Ron Johnson, has ignited fierce criticism from Republican lawmakers who allege constitutional violations and abuse of power.

The records indicate the messages were obtained from the National Archives and Records Administration via a June 2023 subpoena. They covered communications from government phones used by former President Donald Trump and numerous senior advisers-including former chief of staff Mark Meadows, former Vice President Mike Pence, and counselor Kellyanne Conway-between October 2020 and January 20, 2021. The communications involved 40 Republican and four Democratic lawmakers, whose messages were downloaded and reviewed by Smith’s team within an hour of receipt, apparently circumventing a designated “Filter Team.”