U.S. House of Representatives Committee on the Judiciary
11/08/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 11/08/2024 11:07
Chairman Jordan and Rep. Loudermilk Demand Jack Smith Preserve Records Related to His Politicized Prosecutions of President Trump
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) and Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-GA), Chairman of the House Administration Subcommittee on Oversight, sent a letterto Special Counsel Jack Smith demanding his office preserve all records surrounding the Biden-Harris Administration's politicized prosecutions of President Donald Trump.
The Chairmen also reiterated outstanding requests to Special Counsel Smith, including:
The Chairmen also reiterated outstanding requests to Special Counsel Smith, including:
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Documents and communications relating to meetings between FBI and Justice Department officials sent to or received by Jack Smith prior to the execution of the search warrant on President Trump's private residence;
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Documents and communications referring or relating to the hiring and selection of current and former Office of Special Counsel staff members;
- And all documents and communications between or among the Office of Special Counsel, the Office of the Attorney General, or the Office of the Deputy Attorney General referring or relating to the investigation and prosecution of President Donald Trump.
Excerpts of the letter to Jack Smith:
"The Committee on the Judiciary is continuing its oversight of the Department of Justice and the Office of Special Counsel. According to recent public reports, prosecutors in your office have been "gaming out legal options" in the event that President Donald Trump won the election. With President Trump's decisive victory this week, we are concerned that the Office of Special Counsel may attempt to purge relevant records, communications, and documents responsive to our numerous requests for information. The Office of Special Counsel is not immune from transparency or above accountability for its actions. We reiterate our requests, which are itemized in the attached appendix and incorporated herein, and ask that you produce the entirety of the requested material as soon as possible but no later than November 22, 2024.
"Furthermore, this letter serves as a formal request to preserve all existing and future records and materials related to the Office of Special Counsel's investigations and prosecutions of President Trump. You should construe this preservation notice as an instruction to take all reasonable steps to prevent the destruction or alteration, whether intentionally or negligently, of all documents, communications, and other information, including electronic information and metadata, that are or may be responsive to this congressional inquiry. This instruction includes all electronic messages sent using official and personal accounts or devices, including records created using text messages, phone-based message applications, or encryption software."
Read the full letter to Special Counsel Jack Smith here.
"The Committee on the Judiciary is continuing its oversight of the Department of Justice and the Office of Special Counsel. According to recent public reports, prosecutors in your office have been "gaming out legal options" in the event that President Donald Trump won the election. With President Trump's decisive victory this week, we are concerned that the Office of Special Counsel may attempt to purge relevant records, communications, and documents responsive to our numerous requests for information. The Office of Special Counsel is not immune from transparency or above accountability for its actions. We reiterate our requests, which are itemized in the attached appendix and incorporated herein, and ask that you produce the entirety of the requested material as soon as possible but no later than November 22, 2024.
"Furthermore, this letter serves as a formal request to preserve all existing and future records and materials related to the Office of Special Counsel's investigations and prosecutions of President Trump. You should construe this preservation notice as an instruction to take all reasonable steps to prevent the destruction or alteration, whether intentionally or negligently, of all documents, communications, and other information, including electronic information and metadata, that are or may be responsive to this congressional inquiry. This instruction includes all electronic messages sent using official and personal accounts or devices, including records created using text messages, phone-based message applications, or encryption software."
Read the full letter to Special Counsel Jack Smith here.
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