House Judiciary Chair Refers Former Special Counsel Jack Smith for Criminal Investigation

On July 22, 2026, House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan referred former special counsel Jack Smith to the Justice Department for criminal investigation. Jordan alleges Smith "made willfully and intentionally false statements" to Congress about his team's access to text messages of 44 lawmakers during the Trump election-interference probe. Smith's lawyers call the referral "a chilling eagerness to weaponize the justice system." The referral carries no independent legal force.