Jack Smith Obtained Internal Communications Between Nearly 50 Journalists, Trump Officials
Grassley said he and Sen. Ron Johnson sought answers about how investigators screened the records for potentially privileged material.
SOURCE CHECK
TAP FOR WHYBreitbart is a partisan outlet with a less transparent record of editorial safeguards than major general-interest newsrooms. This article attributes key details to Fox News and Republican officials, but offers limited independent sourcing.
- Source type — Partisan outlet; the article’s framing and sourcing warrant caution.
- Source diversity — Relies chiefly on Fox News reporting and statements from Republican officials.
- Editorial standards — The article provides limited evidence of independent verification or a response from the officials whose conduct is questioned.
- Author attribution — A named reporter is credited.
The article gives specific details about the subpoena and records, and attributes several claims to named sources. However, it relies heavily on Republican officials and a Fox News report, does not include a response from Smith’s team or the Justice Department, and provides limited context about the safeguards used.
HOW WE SCORE ↗The article includes specific claims and attributes them to sources, but its perspective is largely driven by Republican officials and it does not present a response from Smith’s team or the Justice Department.
- Counterarguments presented — No response or counterargument from Smith’s team or the Justice Department is included.
- Source diversity — The principal sources are Fox News and Republican officials.
- Loaded language — The article repeats a Republican official’s characterization of the matter as government overreach without a contrasting assessment.
The article’s focus on alleged government overreach, its repeated use of a Republican committee’s criticism, and the absence of a response from Smith’s team give it a right-leaning frame.
- Framing — Frames the records collection chiefly as a potential government overreach.
- Source selection — Emphasizes statements from Republican senators and a Republican committee account.
- Omission — Includes no response from Smith, his team, or the Justice Department.
A report says Jack Smith’s investigators obtained communications involving nearly 50 journalists while seeking text messages from phones used in the first Trump administration. Sens. Chuck Grassley and Ron Johnson have asked federal officials how potentially privileged material was screened.
The article reports that Smith’s office subpoenaed the National Archives for text messages from phones used by officials in the first Trump White House, and that records produced in response included communications with journalists. Citing Fox News, it says nearly 50 journalists were affected. A Grassley spokesperson said the committee would withhold their names because of privacy concerns.
Grassley and Sen. Ron Johnson sought answers from the Justice Department and FBI about procedures for filtering potentially privileged material before investigators reviewed it. Grassley said the matter was not a normal prosecution, and the article cites a reported email directing Smith’s team to download documents tied to the phone messages.
Community verdict
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People in this story
SWIPE →Senator who sought information about the handling of records obtained by Smith’s investigators
Senator who joined Grassley in seeking information about the screening of records
Johnson's version of this story ↗
President and subject of the federal election investigation
Part of a bigger story
5 OUTLETSJack Smith’s investigation obtained communications involving journalists, and Grassley sought answers about the collection and how the material was screened. Right-leaning outlets focus on the collection’s reach and Grassley’s scrutiny, with some presenting it as a rights concern and others including Smith’s defense and opposing positions at the hearing. The unrated article emphasizes alleged failures to screen privileged material.
- ARTICLES
- 5
- OUTLETS
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- AVG CRED
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- Washington Examiner · Jack Smith collected journalists’ private messages for Arctic Frost investigation: Whistleblower
- The Daily Signal · Jack Smith Scooped Up Reporters’ Phone Data in Trump Probe: ‘Massive First Amendment Breach’
- Fox News · Jack Smith's Trump probe swept up Fox News, other media communications as investigation went beyond lawmakers
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