Democrats Demand Chuck Grassley Apologize To Jack Smith Over GOP's False NBA Accusation
Senate Judiciary Democrats asked Grassley to provide committee records and apologize to Jack Smith.
SOURCE CHECK
TAP FOR WHYCredibility rates AOL.com, which republished this story. The other scores rate the article itself.
The reporting is attributed to HuffPost, an established national news outlet, though the AOL page reproduces its work rather than demonstrating original reporting. The brief article identifies a letter obtained by Politico and includes the request's wording.
- Source type — An established national outlet is identified as the original publisher.
- Transparency — The page identifies HuffPost as the article's original publisher.
- Author attribution — The article names Brianna Tucker as its author.
- Editorial standards — The short report provides limited information from which to assess corrections practices or reporting standards.
The report attributes the request to a letter obtained by Politico and includes Smith’s denial and alternative account of where he was. It does not present a response from Grassley or Schmitt or show the underlying records supporting the accusation or its rebuttal.
HOW WE SCORE ↗The article gives the Democrats' request and Smith's denial, but does not include Grassley's or Schmitt's response or the evidence behind the competing accounts.
- Counterarguments presented — Smith's denial is included, but no response from Grassley or Schmitt appears.
- Source diversity — The report relies on the Democrats' letter and Smith's account, with no opposing perspective.
- Omitted context — The underlying committee records and the basis for the accusation are not shown.
- Loaded language — The story calls the accusation false, while otherwise using restrained language.
The report uses a largely factual tone but foregrounds Democrats' demand and describes Schmitt's accusation as false, without including a response from Grassley or Schmitt.
- Framing — The headline and opening center Democrats' demand that Grassley apologize.
- Language tone — Mostly descriptive wording, with the accusation characterized as false.
- Source selection — The article includes the Democrats' letter and Smith's denial but no response from Grassley or Schmitt.
Republished with credit
Republished from HuffPost, with credit to the original publisher.
88 stories · 74–75 · updated Oct 12, 2026
This is HuffPost's own score, and this article is credited to HuffPost. The host score in the Source Check is AOL.com's.
Senate Judiciary Democrats asked Chuck Grassley to provide committee records and apologize to Jack Smith after Eric Schmitt accused Smith of secretly meeting with prosecutors at an Atlanta Hawks game. Smith denied the accusation and said he was at an Iowa Hawkeyes women’s basketball game that day.
Senate Judiciary Democrats asked committee chair Grassley to provide records they said had been withheld and to apologize to Smith on behalf of the committee. The request followed Schmitt’s accusation at a hearing last month that Smith had secretly attended an Atlanta Hawks game to plot with prosecutors about charging President Donald Trump.
Smith denied the allegation and said he was instead at an Iowa Hawkeyes women’s basketball game the same day. A letter obtained by Politico also asked Grassley to comply with Senate Rules XXVI and XXVII going forward.
Community verdict
VOTING CLOSED
No good or bad look here
This story reports what happened without casting Grassley in a good or bad light, so readers don’t rate it and it doesn’t count toward Grassley’s record.
People in this story
SWIPE →Senate Judiciary Committee chair asked to provide records and apologize to Jack Smith
President referenced as the subject of the charges Schmitt said Smith and prosecutors discussed
Senator who joined other Democrats in asking Grassley to provide committee records
Senator who accused Jack Smith of secretly meeting with prosecutors at an Atlanta Hawks game
Part of a bigger story
5 OUTLETSSenate Judiciary Democrats asked Chuck Grassley to apologize to Jack Smith and provide committee records related to Eric Schmitt’s claim about Smith attending a basketball game. Left-leaning outlets center the apology and records demand and characterize Schmitt’s claim as mistaken; one article also scrutinizes Grassley’s response. Center outlets report the same request, while one gives more emphasis to Grassley’s defense of his handling of records.
- ARTICLES
- 6
- OUTLETS
- 5
- AVG CRED
- 72
- The Hill · Grassley defends record after attacks from Democrats over Jack Smith treatment
- Raw Story · Chuck Grassley fires back at Democrats over Jack Smith – but leaves out one glaring detail
- Washington Examiner · Committee Democrats push Grassley for apology and records related to Schmitt’s Jack Smith perjury flub
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