Former special counsel Jack Smith sent Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA) a new letter about setting the record straight with his public testimony, Politico reported on Friday.
The letter, written by lawyers for Smith, delivered a sly jab at President Donald Trump for leveraging law enforcement against his political enemies while alleging that Smith had done so.
“Such political meddling in prosecutorial decision making undermines the credibility of the Justice Department and the integrity of any subsequent enforcement actions,” wrote Lanny Breuer and Peter Koski, the Smith lawyers at the firm Covington & Burling.
“Political meddling in prosecutorial actions also risks turning impartial law enforcement agencies into partisan tools to protect the President’s allies and punish his perceived adversaries," the letter continues.
Thus far, Trump has demanded his attorney general prosecute former FBI Director James Comey, New York Attorney General Letitia James and Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA). A broader list includes people like former CIA Director John Brennan and former National Security Advisor John Bolton, who has already been indicted.
Republican lawmakers have been investigating Smith's investigation of Trump's theft of classified documents, the refusal to return them, and efforts to allegedly obstruct the investigation.
Grassley and House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) want to hear from Smith directly, but he's refusing to do it behind closed doors.
“Mr. Smith is fully committed to providing information about the work of the Special Counsel’s Office, and we are committed to working with you to provide the public an opportunity to hear directly from Mr. Smith regarding his work,” the attorneys wrote.
