EXCLUSIVE: Bombshell DOJ Records Claim Jack Smith Team Bypassed Internal Safeguards in Trump Probe
Former Special Counsel Jack Smith is facing renewed scrutiny.
July 16 2026, Published 5:20 p.m. ET
Newly released Justice Department records have ignited fresh controversy surrounding Special Counsel Jack Smith's Trump investigations, with internal documents alleging his investigative team apparently ignored established safeguards designed to protect privileged communications before reviewing White House text messages involving dozens of lawmakers, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The explosive document dump, released by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley and Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations Chairman Ron Johnson, includes a DOJ response letter and internal records outlining the Special Counsel's Office's "Project Coconut" and "Project Cranberry" investigations – the department's internal names for the January 6 and Mar-a-Lago classified documents investigations.
Explosive Document Dump
Newly released Justice Department records outline the internal filter-team procedures used during Smith's Trump investigations.
According to the DOJ's letter, filter teams were established specifically to prevent prosecutors and FBI investigators from accessing attorney-client privileged or protected materials before an independent review was completed.
The department noted that failing to follow those protocols could jeopardize prosecutions by leading to the suppression of evidence or even the disqualification of prosecutors. The documents detail a troubling sequence of events that unfolded in 2023.
On June 11, 2023, DOJ personnel reportedly discovered that permission settings within the document-review software had been configured in a way that allowed members of Smith's investigative team to access records before the filter team completed its review.
The records relate to Smith’s investigations into 'Project Coconut' and 'Project Cranberry.'
An internal email described correcting the issue as the department’s "top priority."
Months later, on August 21, 2023, the National Archives produced spreadsheets containing White House text messages requested by investigators.
According to the DOJ letter, Senior Assistant Special Counsel Thomas Windom downloaded the files before sharing them with members of the investigative team. Within minutes, investigators were allegedly circulating individual text messages internally.
Senators Cracking Down
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley helped release the DOJ letter.
The DOJ letter states that Smith's investigative team "apparently bypassed the Filter Team and directly accessed these text messages" before the FBI later identified the individuals associated with the communications.
Among the materials, the department identified communications involving 44 members of Congress, including Senators Grassley, Johnson, Lindsey Graham, Josh Hawley, Rand Paul, and Cory Booker, as well as Representatives Kevin McCarthy, Jim Jordan, Elise Stefanik, Karen Bass, Thomas Massie, and numerous others.
The newly released records also include internal presentations used to train DOJ filter-team members. Those materials repeatedly emphasize that potentially privileged communications were supposed to remain separate from prosecutors, with all contact between the filter team and investigators routed through a designated coordinator.
Never Miss an
Daily updates from the heart of Hollywood, right to your inbox
By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you’re agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations Chairman Ron Johnson joined Grassley in releasing the Justice Department records.
The documents further state that no materials should be disclosed to the investigative team without approval from a filter-team attorney.
The release is expected to fuel renewed scrutiny of Smith's handling of evidence in the high-profile Trump investigations, particularly as lawmakers continue examining whether established DOJ safeguards were followed throughout the Special Counsel’s work.
Grassley and Johnson said the newly disclosed records raise significant questions about how sensitive communications were handled during one of the most consequential federal investigations in recent history.
