Jack Smith's Team Secretly Obtained Texts From 44 Lawmakers
Grassley's Senate Judiciary Committee released the DOJ letter on July 14, 2026, dating the seizures to October 2020 through January 2021.
- The Filter Team, meant to screen privileged material, never stopped this collection.
- October 2020 to January 2021 spans the election and the transfer of power to Biden.
- Smith's office was assembling the federal case against Donald Trump at the time.
Why it matters: The branch that funds and oversees the Justice Department was, itself, surveilled by it in secret.
Senate Judiciary Committee/Sen. Chuck Grassley press release citing DOJ letter ↗ · Jul 14, 20267/14/26 · ✓ Checked✓ Check