House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, a Republican from Ohio, has formally requested former special counsel Jack Smith to provide testimony regarding what he describes as politically motivated prosecutions of former President Donald Trump. The demand, outlined in a letter first obtained by Fox News Digital, asks Smith to schedule an interview with the committee by October 28, framing the inquiry as essential to understanding how the Biden-Harris administration allegedly weaponized federal law enforcement. Jordan’s request comes amid congressional Republicans intensifying their scrutiny over recent revelations that Smith subpoenaed phone records of sitting senators.
Jordan’s letter to Smith was described as a pivotal moment in the ongoing efforts to investigate the former special counsel’s conduct. Smith, who led the criminal investigations into Trump, brought charges against the former president over the 2020 election and classified documents but later dropped them due to Justice Department policy against prosecuting sitting presidents. The committee’s demand for Smith’s testimony represents the first time Congress has called on him after his two-year tenure as special counsel. If Smith refuses to comply, Jordan could issue a subpoena. In response, Fox News Digital reached out to Smith’s lawyers for comment.
The Senate is also amplifying its scrutiny of Smith following a recent demand by 18 Senate Republicans, led by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, for the DOJ and FBI to release documents related to Smith’s decision to subpoena phone companies for toll records of eight Senate Republicans. The senators expressed serious constitutional concerns over the subpoenas, stating that the DOJ should seek court orders to unseal the records if necessary. These toll records, while revealing when and to whom calls were made, do not include the content of the communications themselves.
Jordan has also raised concerns about the FBI’s surveillance of Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., prior to seizing his phone, calling it ‘abusive surveillance.’ He has criticized multiple aspects of Smith’s investigative tactics, including the controversial execution of a search warrant at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago property in 2022 to seize boxes allegedly containing classified material. Jordan further criticized a gag order Smith sought against Trump in court, asserting that it undermined the integrity of the criminal justice system and violated the fundamental responsibility of federal prosecutors to do justice.