'Runaway Train': Chuck Grassley Torches Jack Smith, Accuses Him of Obtaining Texts of Dozens of Lawmakers
Grassley said records show Smith’s team reviewed texts from 44 lawmakers and said he would release evidence with Ron Johnson.
SOURCE CHECK
TAP FOR WHYRedState is an opinion-oriented, openly partisan publisher, and this article uses highly charged language while presenting serious allegations largely through statements from Republican lawmakers. The author is identified, but the article does not include a response from Smith or the Justice Department.
- Source type — Opinion-publisher prior lowers confidence in neutral institutional standards.
- Editorial standards — The rhetoric and framing are strongly partisan and do not distinguish consistently between allegations and established conclusions.
- Author attribution — The article names an author.
- Source diversity — The article relies primarily on statements by Republican lawmakers and does not include a response from the accused or DOJ.
The article identifies lawmakers’ statements and describes records they say they obtained, but offers little direct examination of the records, limited independent corroboration, and no response from Smith or the Justice Department. Strongly loaded language further weakens its reporting quality.
HOW WE SCORE ↗The article presents allegations and reactions from Republican lawmakers but no response from Smith or the Justice Department and little independent assessment of the records. Its language repeatedly adopts a critical framing of Democrats and the prior administration.
- Counterarguments presented — No response from Smith or the Justice Department is included.
- Source diversity — The quoted political sources are lawmakers aligned with the Republican criticism.
- Loaded language — The article uses strongly evaluative language and insults.
- Omitted context — It offers little independent explanation of the records or the alleged safeguards and testimony.
The article uses strongly anti-Biden and anti-Smith language, frames the allegations as evidence of partisan DOJ abuse, and closes with a favorable reference to the Trump administration. It gives little space to alternative explanations or responses.
- Language tone — Uses pejorative descriptions such as “attack dog,” “tainted prosecutor,” and “sordid tale.”
- Framing — Frames the allegations as evidence of a partisan effort against Trump and contrasts them with criticism of the Trump administration.
- Source selection — Quotes Republican lawmakers making the accusations and supplies no countervailing response.
- Headline — Uses “Torches” and “Accuses” to foreground a partisan confrontation.
Chuck Grassley and Ron Johnson said newly released Justice Department records show Jack Smith’s team obtained and reviewed text messages from 44 members of Congress, allegedly bypassing required safeguards. The article reports lawmakers’ calls for scrutiny but does not include a response from Smith or the Justice Department.
Grassley and Johnson said records they received from the Justice Department show that Smith’s investigative team obtained and reviewed text messages from 44 members of Congress during the investigation of Donald Trump. They alleged the team bypassed a required filter-team review process and said the records followed legally protected whistleblower disclosures.
The article quotes Grassley and Johnson calling the investigation a “runaway train.” Rand Paul said the records conflicted with Smith’s prior sworn testimony, and Eric Schmitt called for a full investigation. These are allegations and claims reported by the article; it does not present a response from Smith or the Justice Department.
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SWIPE →Senate Judiciary Committee chairman leading oversight of the records
Representative named among lawmakers whose texts were reportedly reviewed
Representative named among lawmakers whose texts were reportedly reviewed
Former representative named among lawmakers whose texts were reportedly reviewed
Representative named among lawmakers whose texts were reportedly reviewed
Senator named among lawmakers whose texts were reportedly reviewed
Senator named among lawmakers whose texts were reportedly reviewed
Former attorney general mentioned in the article’s criticism of the Biden Justice Department
Senator named among lawmakers whose texts were reportedly reviewed
Former senator named among lawmakers whose texts were reportedly reviewed
Former president whose administration is blamed by the article for DOJ conduct
Representative named among lawmakers whose texts were reportedly reviewed
Representative named among lawmakers whose texts were reportedly reviewed
Former senator named among lawmakers whose texts were reportedly reviewed
Former representative named among lawmakers whose texts were reportedly reviewed
Former representative named among lawmakers whose texts were reportedly reviewed
Representative named among lawmakers whose texts were reportedly reviewed
Senator who questioned whether Smith misled Congress and called for an investigation
Representative named among lawmakers whose texts were reportedly reviewed
Representative named among lawmakers whose texts were reportedly reviewed
Former senator named among lawmakers whose texts were reportedly reviewed
Former representative named among lawmakers whose texts were reportedly reviewed
Representative named among lawmakers whose texts were reportedly reviewed
Former representative named among lawmakers whose texts were reportedly reviewed
Senator named among lawmakers whose texts were reportedly reviewed
Representative named among lawmakers whose texts were reportedly reviewed
Senator named among lawmakers whose texts were reportedly reviewed
Former senator named among lawmakers whose texts were reportedly reviewed
Former representative named among lawmakers whose texts were reportedly reviewed
Representative named among lawmakers whose texts were reportedly reviewed
Senator named among lawmakers whose texts were reportedly reviewed
Former representative named among lawmakers whose texts were reportedly reviewed
Former representative named among lawmakers whose texts were reportedly reviewed
Senator named among lawmakers whose texts were reportedly reviewed
Former senator named among lawmakers whose texts were reportedly reviewed
Former representative named among lawmakers whose texts were reportedly reviewed
Senator named among lawmakers whose texts were reportedly reviewed
Representative named among lawmakers whose texts were reportedly reviewed
Former representative named among lawmakers whose texts were reportedly reviewed
Senate Investigations Subcommittee chairman working with Grassley on the records
Senator named among lawmakers whose texts were reportedly reviewed
Former senator named among lawmakers whose texts were reportedly reviewed
Representative named among lawmakers whose texts were reportedly reviewed
Senator who said the records conflict with Smith’s prior testimony
Representative named among lawmakers whose texts were reportedly reviewed
Senator named among lawmakers whose texts were reportedly reviewed
Part of a bigger story
8 OUTLETSOutlets report that records released by Sens. Chuck Grassley and Ron Johnson show Jack Smith’s team accessed messages involving 44 members of Congress before screening. Grassley said he plans to bring Smith before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Center outlets present the claims as allegations, with one account also noting Smith’s defense. Right-leaning outlets emphasize alleged misconduct and possible accountability, though one situates the issue in Blanche’s confirmation hearing.
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