House Seeks Deposition and Documents from Ex-Special Counsel Amid Escalating Oversight
WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 20: The Department of Justice building is seen on July 20, 2025 in Washington, DC. Attorney General Pam Bondi has asked a federal judge to unseal grand jury testimony used in the prosecution of Jeffrey Epstein and his longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell. (Photo by Eric Lee/Getty Images)
U.S. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) has escalated his investigation into politically motivated prosecutions related to former President Donald Trump by issuing a subpoena for Jack Smith, the now-former special counsel involved in two high-profile cases against Trump.
According to a letter sent on Wednesday and addressed specifically to Smith’s legal team at Covington & Burling, Jordan ordered that Smith must confirm his availability for testimony scheduled for December 17th. Additionally, he was directed to provide documents by December 12th. This marks an intensification of the committee’s review into the conduct of Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller III and other officials linked to Mr. Smith’s controversial probes.
The Judiciary Committee stated it is acting under House Rule X, which explicitly grants authority for oversight over Justice Department operations and potential legislative reforms concerning special counsel investigations. The letter was simultaneously copied to Ranking Member Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), ensuring transparency with committee leadership regarding its scope and intent against co-defendants in the cases led by Smith.
While the initial Mueller investigation concluded that no obstruction of justice occurred during Trump’s conduct leading up to his firing as president, subsequent probes under Mr. Smith focused on different aspects following his appointment after the January 6th Capitol attack. The current committee inquiry specifically examines whether these later actions constituted politically driven prosecutions targeting individuals associated with former President Trump.
This latest step by Chairman Jordan represents a significant escalation in formal proceedings between Congress and the Justice Department concerning matters that originated under Mueller but were expanded by Mr. Smith’s office. It signals an increasingly adversarial posture from the Republican-controlled committee towards the legal processes initiated during the period when Mr. Smith was leading these cases against co-defendants linked to the President-elect or his campaign.
