Jack Smith Subpoenaed FBI Director Kash Patel’s Records
Former special counsel Jack Smith requested nearly two years of phone records from FBI Director Kash Patel, according to newly released documents.
Smith’s team issued subpoenas for Patel’s mailing address, email, and records of his calls and texts, though without the actual content. These details emerged from documents released by Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley ahead of a hearing.
The subpoenas targeted records spanning from October 1, 2020, to February 22, 2023, and from January 1, 2021, to November 23, 2022. Both U.S. Magistrate Judge James Mazzone and U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell, appointed by Obama, put a secrecy order in place to keep the subpoenas under wraps.
Senator Ron Johnson, a Republican from Wisconsin, commented, “The American people deserve to know the full extent of Jack Smith’s partisan investigative tactics that unfairly targeted law-abiding citizens as well as sitting members of Congress.” He added that he expects telecom companies to comply with his subpoena directed at them.
The documents released also highlighted a list from January 2023, showing lawmakers Smith’s team aimed to subpoena, including current EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin and several prominent Republicans like Matt Gaetz and Ted Cruz.
In one email, a prosecutor remarked, “We need to let Jack know because we’re going to be firing citations for the toll on so many members,” hinting at the investigation’s impact on various Republican lawmakers, including former Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy.
In January 2023, Smith’s team expressed confidence in the findings of the January 6 commission, noting they had thoroughly reviewed the report and incorporated its contents into their investigation. Smith mentioned that the commission’s output was just a small part of the broader evidence collected.
During testimony earlier, Smith admitted that key witness Cassidy Hutchinson’s insights were not disregarded but did acknowledge some of her statements could be considered hearsay.
In February, executives from phone companies testified before the Senate regarding why they complied with subpoenas from Smith’s team. Grassley noted that Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT&T received numerous subpoenas during the investigation concerning Smith’s lawsuit against Donald Trump.
Interestingly, AT&T was the sole company to challenge the subpoena, seeking clarification on possible constitutional issues related to Cruz’s requests. Grassley criticized Democrats for failing to act sooner, implying it would have prevented misinformation regarding Smith’s conduct.
