Criminal Referral Issued Against Jack Smith by House Judiciary Committee

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan issued a criminal referral for former special counsel Jack Smith on July 23, 2026, alleging that Smith misled Congress regarding his investigation into President Donald Trump. Jordan claims that newly released records contradict Smith's testimony, which stated that he did not access lawmakers' text messages during his investigations. In a letter to Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, Jordan argued that Smith's testimony included false statements aimed at obstructing the Committee's oversight. Smith has denied any wrongdoing. The referral follows increasing scrutiny from Republicans, who accuse Smith of misusing the Justice Department and violating privacy protections during his investigations related to the 2020 election and Trump's handling of classified documents. Rep. Jamie Raskin, the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, criticized Jordan's referral as a distortion of facts. Additionally, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley revealed documents indicating that Smith's team accessed text messages from 44 members of Congress and White House staff. Smith had previously stated that he only sought telephone toll records, which do not include call content. The Justice Department confirmed receipt of the criminal referral and stated it would investigate the allegations.