Jack Smith after his prosecutions of Trump

In his second term Trump ordered the suspension of security clearances at a law firm that had advised Smith,^[13] and in August 2025 an independent federal watchdog that enforces the law against partisan activity by federal employees opened an investigation into him;^[5] his lawyers called its premise "imaginary and unfounded."^[14] In October FBI records showed that his investigators had analyzed the phone records of more than a half dozen Republican lawmakers in 2023.^[6][15] Smith asked to testify publicly, but the House Judiciary Committee subpoenaed him for a closed-door interview in December,^[16][17] where he said his team had found "proof beyond a reasonable doubt" that Trump committed crimes.^[7] He later called Trump the "most culpable and most responsible person" in the conspiracy,^[18] and he testified publicly to the committee in January 2026.^[19][20]

The scrutiny grew in 2026. A former prosecutor was indicted on charges of emailing herself confidential files from his investigation,^[21] and Rep. Jim Jordan asked the Justice Department to consider charges against him after records showed what his team had accessed.^[22][23] Smith testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee in September 2026.^[8][24] Afterward Sen. Bill Hagerty filed a bar complaint against him,^[25] Sen. Marsha Blackburn sued him and the Justice Department over a subpoena for her phone records,^[26] and newly declassified records showed the FBI had tracked the travel plans of Melania and Barron Trump before the 2022 search of Mar-a-Lago.^[27]