Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley blasted committee Democrats on Thursday, accusing them of “falling over themselves” to defend former Special Counsel Jack Smith. Grassley argued [1] that Democrats have ignored Smith’s conduct while attacking Republicans who are demanding accountability.
Smith led the classified documents and election interference investigations involving Donald Trump, who was a private citizen at the time. Congressional hearings, often led by Grassley, have since focused attention on Smith’s investigative tactics and the Americans swept into his operation.
The records described in the hearings indicate that lawmakers were monitored and that Melania and Barron Trump were tracked. Smith’s team also targeted nearly 5,000 Americans connected to donations to Republicans, according to the material highlighted by Grassley.
Smith added another layer to the controversy when he attended a Bruce Springsteen concert on October 3 wearing a far-left “No Kings” shirt. The appearance came shortly after Smith told Congress, “I believe that there is no role for politics in the proper administration of justice.”
Grassley’s criticism centered on what he described as partisan protection for Smith from Senate Judiciary Democrats. Rather than denouncing the investigative methods, Democrats have complained that Republicans did not provide them with sufficient access to important information.
Grassley rejected that argument in a letter addressed to Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Dick Durbin and the committee’s Democrats. He wrote, “If you want to use those records, you’ve been given access to do so. But the important question is, where is the outrage from your side about [Smith’s] clearly abnormal investigative tactics?”
Since January 2025, Grassley has made public nearly 2,200 pages of records concerning Arctic Frost and Smith’s Special Counsel team. Those disclosures have formed the basis of Grassley’s push to expose what he views as an abuse of government authority.
Grassley also revealed that Smith secretly subpoenaed bank records involving nearly 5,000 Americans. Despite those disclosures, zero Democrats on the Judiciary Committee have condemned Smith’s actions, according to the account presented by Grassley.
BREAKING: Chairman @ChuckGrassley SLAMS Judiciary Committee Democrats for “falling over themselves” defending Jack Smith’s unlawful and unconstitutional actions.
Grassley revealed Smith targeted nearly 5,000 Americans for the false crime of donating to Republicans. Instead of standing up for their constituents, Democrats want an apology for weaponizer-in-chief Jack Smith.
Republicans aren’t backing down, and they won’t apologize for fighting for accountability.
— Senate Judiciary Republicans (@SenJudiciaryGOP) October 9, 2026 [2]
The records affected a combined 914 constituents living in states represented by Judiciary Committee Democrats. Grassley has urged those senators to demand an apology from Smith over the invasion of Americans’ privacy and to join Republican efforts seeking accountability.
Instead, Durbin demanded an apology for Smith and accused Republican senators of falsely accusing the former Special Counsel of perjury. His statement presented the Republican investigation as an embarrassment rather than confronting the tactics detailed in Grassley’s disclosures.
Durbin declared, “Jack Smith deserves an apology from my Republican colleagues who falsely accused him of perjury.” He continued, “This shameful episode was an embarrassment to the Committee that demands an explanation.”
Durbin also claimed Democrats were denied documents before Smith’s hearing. He said, “That starts by providing Senate Judiciary Democrats with documents that Republicans withheld before Smith’s hearing—in violation of Senate rules.”
Jack Smith deserves an apology from my Republican colleagues who falsely accused him of perjury.
This shameful episode was an embarrassment to the Committee that demands an explanation.
That starts by providing Senate Judiciary Democrats with documents that Republicans withheld before Smith’s hearing—in violation of Senate rules.
— Senator Dick Durbin (@SenatorDurbin) October 8, 2026 [3]
Grassley’s letter pushed back on that narrative by pointing to the nearly 2,200 pages already released and available for Democrats to examine. His response suggested the central question is not access, but why committee Democrats have shown no outrage over Smith’s methods.
The fight now pits Grassley’s demands for accountability against Democrats determined to defend Smith and challenge Republican investigators. Grassley is encouraging Democrats to stop undermining his inquiry and instead confront the conduct affecting thousands of Americans.
The controversy also sharpens the contrast between Smith’s public claim that politics has no place in justice and his appearance in a “No Kings” shirt. For critics, the shirt and the investigative record make the Democrats’ rush to defend him look even more brazen.
Jack Smith under oath in the U.S. Senate: “I have no partisan loyalty.”
Jack Smith four days later: https://t.co/Wag2w5C4kf
— Senate Judiciary Republicans (@SenJudiciaryGOP) October 5, 2026 [4]
Grassley has remained a leading congressional figure in releasing Arctic Frost records and scrutinizing Smith’s conduct. The more information he makes public, the harder it becomes for Democrats to dismiss the concerns while demanding apologies for the man at the center of them.