Jack Smith Prosecutors Accused Of Mishandling Classified Material In Trump Case

Prosecutors working under former special counsel Jack Smith may have mishandled classified materials while pursuing President Trump over similar allegations, according to internal government records released by Sen. Chuck Grassley.

The records include messages from 2023 and 2024 describing multiple security lapses, including classified materials allegedly being accessed without proper need-to-know confirmation, a classified letter being left unsecured, and a Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility being left open overnight.

One Justice Department official called the SCIF incident a violation and demanded details about what happened. The lapse was reportedly tied to Stephanie Van Buskirk, an assistant to Smith.

It is not yet clear whether the incidents were connected to Smith’s classified documents case against Trump at Mar-a-Lago or his separate election case. Both prosecutions were dismissed before Trump returned to the White House in January 2025.

Grassley said the records point to a glaring double standard, arguing that Biden Justice Department officials may have committed the same type of misconduct they were trying to use against Trump.

The Iowa Republican also compared the situation to Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden’s handling of classified material, noting that neither was prosecuted despite past investigations.

Grassley is now demanding answers from Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche about whether the incidents were investigated, whether anyone was held accountable, and whether Smith’s team informed the court about the security violations.