Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley has revealed that former Special Counsel Jack Smith's team spied on 44 members of Congress, including their text messages, raising concerns about the abuse of power.
According to documents obtained by Grassley, Smith's team reviewed the contents of text messages sent by 44 members of Congress, despite Smith initially stating under oath that he did not read any text messages.
Grassley has alerted his colleagues who were impacted and has promised to release the records in collaboration with Senator Johnson, allowing the American public to see the evidence.
The 44 members of Congress who were spied on include several Republicans and Democrats, highlighting the potential partisan nature of the investigation.
The investigation, dubbed "Operation Arctic Frost," was launched in April 2022 by the Biden DOJ and FBI, targeting President Trump, former Vice President Mike Pence, and their allies.
The probe was prompted by the 2020 Trump alternate electors, and Grassley has criticized the investigation for ignoring routine investigative protocols and seizing government-issued cell phones belonging to Trump and Pence.
Grassley has called for Smith to answer to the Senate Judiciary Committee in the coming months to hold him accountable, citing the severity of the actions taken by Smith's team.
Smith previously sat down for a deposition last December, where he denied under oath that the records he requested included the contents of calls and texts.
Grassley has stated that Smith's team "ran roughshod over the Constitution" and that he hopes his Democratic colleagues will recognize the severity of these actions and put partisanship aside.
