Leading Republican senators are telling Justice Department officials to ensure all records related to Special Counsel Jack Smith's investigation into President-elect Donald Trump are preserved before the new administration takes office.
”[C]Everything related to the Justice Department's criminal investigation into former President Trump by Special Counsel Smith, given that the Justice Department has in the past destroyed federal records related to political bias influencing Congressional oversight and decision-making processes. We request that these records be preserved,” the senators wrote. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) said in a letter to Smith, Attorney General Merrick Garland and FBI Director Christopher Wray.
Thune says Trump's border plan is first on new Congress' strict priority list: 'The real work begins'
Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) directed the Justice Department to preserve records in Mr. Smith's case. (Reuters)
“We cannot repeat the inappropriate conduct of the past in this matter. Therefore, all records must be preserved to allow Congress to conduct an objective and independent review.”
Before his indictment, Mr. Smith was leading a federal investigation into Mr. Trump's possession of classified documents and federal election interference.
After Mr. Trump decisively won last week's presidential election over Vice President Kamala Harris, Mr. Smith filed a motion to override all deadlines for 2020 election interference lawsuits against Mr. Trump, a widely anticipated move. It had been.
Matt Gaetz faces Republican Senate opposition after Trump picks him as attorney general
The lawsuit has not yet been officially dismissed, but Smith claimed the team plans to provide a formal status update on December 2nd.
Mr. Smith also filed a motion with the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals to halt an earlier appeal of the confidential documents case after it was dismissed by Federal Judge Eileen Cannon.
Mr. Thune wins in secret ballot and becomes the new Senate Republican leader, replacing Mr. McConnell.
Mr. Trump was the subject of two indictments by Mr. Smith. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
In their letter, Grassley and Johnson said Justice Department records released in 2020 showed that the cellphones of multiple individuals on then-special counsel Robert Mueller's investigative team were used at various times during the investigation into President Trump. He pointed out that it has become clear that it was “erased” for a number of reasons.
Records from the time show that information on devices was wiped before an investigation was conducted for reasons such as forgotten passcodes, irreparable screen damage, lost devices, or intentional deletions.
Rick Scott loses Senate leadership race in first round as Thune and Cornyn advance
Garland is Biden's attorney general. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
“Furthermore, with Senator Grassley's oversight, the FBI agreed to destroy records not turned over to the investigative team during the FBI's investigation into Secretary Clinton's mishandling of classified information and related to Secretary Clinton's staff. “It was revealed that he had agreed to destroy his laptop,” they wrote.
The Department of Justice did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
