# GOP Escalates Attack on Trump Prosecutor as Classified Documents Report Faces Suppression Battle

Senate Republicans have intensified their oversight probe into former Special Counsel Jack Smith, focusing on his investigative tactics during probes into Donald Trump, while legal fights rage over the fate of Smith's detailed report on Trump's handling of classified documents.[2][3] In hearings launched February 10 under the "Arctic Frost Accountability" banner, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley accused Smith's team of overreaching by secretly obtaining phone toll records from telecom giants like Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile linked to 20 current or former GOP lawmakers.[2] Republicans claim this violated the Constitution's Speech or Debate Clause, which protects congressional speech from executive interference, pulling major companies into a heated partisan clash.[2]

Smith pushed back forcefully in congressional testimony, insisting the subpoenas targeted only call metadata—numbers dialed, dates, and durations—not conversation content, and were approved by judges with nondisclosure orders to preserve the investigations' integrity.[2] These probes stemmed from Smith's 2022 appointment to handle sensitive Trump matters, including January 6 election interference and classified documents at Mar-a-Lago, where evidence included surveillance footage of boxes moved amid return demands, employee testimony on concealment, and Trump showing secrets to unauthorized individuals.[1][2] A federal judge dismissed the election case without prejudice in 2025 upon Trump's second-term inauguration, aligning with DOJ policy against prosecuting sitting presidents, though Smith maintained trial-ready evidence existed.[2]

Tensions peaked over Smith's report, which he testified contains "irrefutable" proof of Trump's willful retention of classified materials post-presidency and efforts to overturn 2020 results despite fraud claims being debunked by aides.[1][3] Trump and co-defendants recently urged Judge Aileen Cannon to permanently destroy or block its release, prompting American Oversight and the Knight First Amendment Institute to warn the DOJ and National Archives that such action violates the Federal Records Act, as the document belongs to the public.[3] They filed motions to intervene and a mandamus petition with the Eleventh Circuit to halt proceedings amid appeals, citing Cannon's December 2025 gag order extension as undue delay.[3] Smith, testifying eight hours before the House Judiciary Committee, revealed "proof beyond a reasonable doubt" on election subversion and "powerful evidence" on documents, but the order barred public details.[3]

Grassley vows more hearings for transparency, as Democrats defend the subpoenas as lawful in criminal probes.[2] Listeners should watch this space: with Trump's term ticking and evidentiary barriers temporary, the report's survival could reignite accountability debates.[1][3] (Word count: 428)

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