House Judiciary Committee Launches Inquiry into Prosecutorial Abuses by Jack Smith's Office
The House Judiciary Committee announced Thursday afternoon that it has launched an inquiry into alleged prosecutorial abuses by the office of Special Counsel Jack Smith. Committee Chair Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) sent a letter to Smith.
Jordan's letter references reports that one of Smith's top deputies, Jay Bratt, acted improperly when trying to secure the cooperation of Trump valet Walt Nauta, who was eventually indicted. Nauta's attorney, Stanley Woodward, reported that Bratt first said Nauta had provided conflicting testimony to investigators and could be charged with giving a false statement, which Woodward disputed. Then Bratt switched tactics, essentially telling Woodward, "That's a nice application for a judgeship you've got there... it'd be a shame if something negative happened to it."
Jordan also referenced an August 2, 2023 filing in Nauta's case by Bratt in which Bratt alleged that there were "conflicts of interest presented by Mr. Woodward's representation of two other witnesses 'who could be called to testify at a trial in the case involving classified documents at Mar-a-Lago'" and "suggested that the court should 'procure independent counsel' to be present at the hearing 'to advise Mr. Woodward's clients regarding the potential conflicts'" - something the court has full authority and ability to do on its own.
Jordan asked Smith to produce documents and communications related to any appointment/meeting/visit by Woodward to DOJ concerning Nauta, documents and communication between/among the Office of the Special Counsel, Office of the Attorney General, or Office of the Deputy Attorney General related to Woodward and his representation of individuals "involved in the matters before" Smith, and documents and communication related to Woodward's judicial application.
Jordan instructed Smith to produce those materials as soon as possible but no later than close of business on September 21. It's likely that Smith will invoke the standard "this relates to a current/ongoing investigation and prosecution" as a way to avoid producing the documents, but hope springs eternal.
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