Article

2026-09-29 Government Corruption

Preparing for Jack Smith's testimony requires a roadmap made from history of Arctic Frost scandals

[JTN] As former Special Counsel Jack Smith prepares to testify before Congress Tuesday morning, the scandals resulting from his investigation into President Donald Trump and Trump’s supporters are still being untangled. Politicians and pundits alike — as well as the public — are retracing the steps that may land Smith in hot water.

SECRETLY OBTAINING PHONE RECORDS FOR MEMBERS OF CONGRESS
Records released in July 2025 showed that Smith’s team accessed the private text messages of more than 40 lawmakers from Jan. 6, 2021, leading to questions about whether Smith lied when testifying to Congress the previous year, Just the News previously reported. At that July hearing, Smith answered "no" when asked by congressional investigators whether he included the content of text messages when requesting toll records from members of Congress he secretly surveilled.

The records released this summer showed that the Biden DOJ created a “Filter Team” to evaluate materials obtained during Smith’s investigations, including a probe codenamed “Project Coconut” relating to January 6 and another called Project “Cranberry,” relating to Trump’s handling of classified documents. All were under the umbrella of “Arctic Frost,” a large-scale probe of Trump’s efforts to challenge the 2020 election.

“Communications from Members of Congress pertaining to their official legislative duties are protected from criminal prosecution under the Constitution’s Speech or Debate Clause,” the Senate Judiciary Committee said in a press release when the new documents were released. “Bypassing a Filter Team evades consideration of additional privileges, such as attorney-client privilege.”

In July 2026, Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., queried on social media whether the Department of Justice (DOJ) should investigate whether Smith misled Congress, a crime punishable by up to five years in prison.

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Posted by Skidmark 2026-09-29 07:00|| E-Mail|| Front Page|| ||Comments [37 views ] Top
File under: Tin Hat Dictators, Presidents for Life, & Kleptocrats

1 Not sure that I need to study much for a guy pleading the Fee Fi Fo Fifth.

Posted by Super Hose 2026-09-29 08:42|| 2026-09-29 08:42|| Front Page || Comments Top

2 So far, he hasn't taken the fifth

Posted by Frank G 2026-09-29 10:18|| 2026-09-29 10:18|| Front Page || Comments Top

3 Former Trump prosecutor Jack Smith tells Senate he won't be 'silenced' by prosecution threats

WASHINGTON, Sept 29 (Reuters) - Former US special counsel Jack Smith told senators on Tuesday he will not be silenced by threats ‌of prosecution, as he faced Republican accusations of abuse of power in his investigations of President Donald Trump.
"I will not be silenced by the continued threats of prosecution from the president or others," Smith told the Senate Judiciary Committee, his second public hearing before Congress on his investigations of Trump. Smith condemned the firings of investigators in his office, accusing the Trump administration of "vilification of the career prosecutors, FBI agents, and support staff who served on my team."
Smith brought two since-dismissed criminal cases against Trump over his alleged attempts to overturn the 2020 election and his alleged mishandling of classified documents ⁠after his first term.
Republican lawmakers, who have repeatedly blasted Smith for what they see as vindictive, politically driven prosecutions of Trump and his allies, alleged Smith abused his authority and used his investigations to obtain information from a variety of Republican officials and groups.
“This wasn't a normal prosecution,” Senator Chuck Grassley, the Republican chair of the Judiciary Committee, said. "Mr. Smith's operation was a partisan weapon that broke the rules."
Democrats have defended Smith’s investigations as holding Trump and others accountable for unlawful actions and argue Republicans are the ones trying to carry out vindictive justice on behalf of Trump.
Smith said his investigations followed Justice Department policy and were not influenced by politics. He has been the constant target of Trump, who has called for Smith’s prosecution.

Posted by Skidmark 2026-09-29 10:37|| 2026-09-29 10:37|| Front Page || Comments Top

Posted by Skidmark 2026-09-29 11:10|| 2026-09-29 11:10|| Front Page || Comments Top

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