Former special counsel Jack Smith's investigative team reviewed text message records involving 44 current and former members of Congress, as indicated by newly released Justice Department records. This review occurred under the Biden administration and primarily involved Republican lawmakers, along with a few Democrats, including Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Ron Johnson (R-WI), Cory Booker (D-NJ), and others. Grassley confirmed the review via a post on X, stating he was among those affected and planned to release the records with Senator Johnson.
The reviewed communications pertain to messages sent between October 2020 and January 20, 2021, from phones associated with President Donald Trump and several senior advisers. The messages were obtained from the National Archives and Records Administration. Unlike previous subpoenas for lawmakers' telephone metadata, these records concern the content of messages stored on officials' phones.
Grassley and Johnson released the records following whistleblower disclosures related to the federal investigation known as Arctic Frost. The DOJ's findings suggest that Smith's team may have bypassed established protocols intended to protect privileged information, raising concerns about the integrity of the investigation. The records do not fully disclose the content of the messages, as many details remain redacted.
During a deposition before the House Judiciary Committee, Smith denied that his team had accessed the contents of lawmakers' text messages, stating that only toll records were obtained. The Washington Examiner reached out to Smith's attorney for comment but did not receive a response.