Former special counsel Jack Smith, who has focused on President Donald Trump and his associates, allegedly stated in April that the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is “corrupt,” influenced by Trump and his supporters.
Smith made these comments at a private event for about 300 attendees at the Cosmos Club in Washington, D.C. According to a report by The New York Times, which obtained video of his address, he expressed serious concerns regarding the DOJ’s integrity.
He reportedly accused the Justice Department of being “corrupted” by individuals loyal to Trump, claiming this undermines trust in the department and threatens the rule of law.
“We currently have a Justice Department that targets people for criminal prosecution simply because the president doesn’t like it,” he said. He also suggested that the department is avoiding certain investigations to conceal uncomfortable truths that might not align with the president’s narrative.
Smith shared with an audience that included former Justice Department officials that Trump’s appointees seem more focused on pleasing their superiors than upholding laws and norms. Despite this, he remains hopeful that the agency can reaffirm its commitment to a nonpartisan mission despite what he called the “corruption over the past year.”
On April 21, the Senate Judiciary Committee conducted a hearing regarding “Arctic Frost,” which pertains to Smith’s investigation into Trump and his associates during the Biden administration. Reports emerged on April 21 detailing that “Arctic Frost” is a comprehensive inquiry into Trump when he was a candidate, members of his administration, his campaign team, and even some Republican lawmakers in anticipation of the 2024 presidential election.
FBI Director Kash Patel indicated last year that Smith had subpoenaed phone records from sitting Republican House and Senate members while anti-Trump Judge James Boasberg instructed AT&T not to inform these members that their data had been accessed by prosecutors.
Further, Patel mentioned that his officials revealed in October 2025 that they had found evidence suggesting members’ phone records had been “seized for political purposes.” He asserted, “That abuse of power is over. Under my leadership, the FBI will commit to truth and accountability and will never again be used as a weapon against the American people.”
The following month, John Lauro, Trump’s attorney related to the Smith investigation concerning the January 6 protests, stated that the FBI’s files related to “Arctic Frost” indicated it was merely a political takedown orchestrated by the DOJ.
According to a report from Jasmine Jordan in December, Jack Smith informed members of Congress in a confidential interview that he had amassed enough evidence to warrant criminal charges against Trump regarding his attempts to overturn the 2020 election and the handling of classified documents. However, these cases were later dismissed after Trump returned to office.
Jordan’s piece also noted that the Judiciary Committee has issued a subpoena for Mr. Smith to testify and provide documents in the context of a Republican-led investigation into what they characterize as the politicization of federal law enforcement during the Biden administration.
