“Deliberate or negligent failure to comply with rules and regulations for protecting classified or other sensitive information raises doubt about an individual’s trustworthiness, judgment, reliability, or willingness and ability to safeguard such information,” according to the group’s letter, shared exclusively with the Washington Examiner, which was signed by Fitzpatrick and cited the federal government’s security-clearance guidelines. Fitzpatrick previously served as counsel to the Republican National Committee and worked in the first Trump administration, though CASA is a self-described nonpartisan organization.

Two of the former prosecutors have separately drawn congressional scrutiny over the broader Arctic Frost investigation that led to Trump’s federal prosecutions by Smith. House judiciary committee Republicans said Gaston was involved in subpoenaing phone records for several members of Congress, while Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) referred Windom to the DOJ last year for possible prosecution, alleging she improperly refused to answer questions about the investigation.

More recently, Grassley’s records described one instance in which an individual was allegedly given access to classified material without confirmation of a required “need to know.” Other messages reflected uncertainty over the movement of sensitive material and an April 2024 incident in which a SCIF accessible to Smith’s office was apparently left unsecured overnight.

The released correspondence did not conclude that classified information was compromised or accuse the named employees of criminal wrongdoing. But Grassley has asked the DOJ to determine whether the incidents were investigated, whether material was compromised, and whether any evidence used in Smith’s Mar-a-Lago prosecution of Trump was affected by Wednesday, according to a previously issued letter.

CASA said the disclosures warranted a clearance-eligibility review under Guideline K of the federal adjudicative standards, which addresses improper handling, disclosure, or safeguarding of protected information.

The request gives Pulte, a Trump ally serving temporarily atop the intelligence community, another opportunity to weigh in on scrutiny of the Biden-era Trump investigations before the Senate acts on Jay Clayton’s nomination to become permanent director of national intelligence.

Clayton, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York and former Securities and Exchange Commission chairman, faced the Senate intelligence committee last week.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration has already revoked Smith’s own security clearance. In a March 14 speech at the DOJ last year, Trump said, “We revoked the clearances of deranged Jack Smith, Alvin Bragg, Letitia James, and the crooked law firms that aided their partisan persecutions.” Trump, one month earlier, issued a memorandum directing the suspension of active clearances held by Smith’s lawyer, Peter Koski, and Covington & Burling personnel who assisted Smith.

CASA has also pursued professional-discipline complaints tied to Smith’s former team. Last month, it asked Pennsylvania’s attorney disciplinary board to investigate former Smith prosecutor Carmen Lineberger if she is convicted of federal charges alleging she retained records from the Mar-a-Lago investigation in personal email accounts disguised as cake-recipe files.

The clearance request arrives as questions surrounding Smith’s conduct have intensified. Separate records released last week showed Smith’s team accessed text-message material involving 44 members of Congress before a DOJ filter team had completed its privilege review, according to Grassley and a Trump DOJ letter.

DOJ RECORDS REVEAL POSSIBLE CLASSIFIED SECURITY LAPSES INSIDE JACK SMITH’S OFFICE DURING TRUMP PROSECUTION

Grassley has said Smith has “answering to do” and that he intends to bring the former special counsel before the Senate judiciary committee in the coming months.

The Washington Examiner contacted ODNI for comment.

Read the full letter here:

CASA Letter to DNI Director Bill Pulte RE Smith Team_07.21.26 by reportoftheday