{"id":2626666,"date":"2026-07-08T12:54:02","date_gmt":"2026-07-08T16:54:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/doj-records-reveal-potential-classified-security-lapses-under-jack-smith\/"},"modified":"2026-07-08T12:56:25","modified_gmt":"2026-07-08T16:56:25","slug":"doj-records-reveal-potential-classified-security-lapses-under-jack-smith","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/doj-records-reveal-potential-classified-security-lapses-under-jack-smith\/","title":{"rendered":"DOJ records reveal potential classified security lapses under Jack Smith"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fdoj-records-reveal-potential-classified-security-lapses-under-jack-smith%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2626666&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Recent internal Justice Department messages reveal security lapses within former special counsel Jack Smith\u2019s office during ongoing investigations into President Donald Trump\u2019s handling of classified documents. the disclosures include concerns about unauthorized access to classified materials, uncertainties about the movement of sensitive documents, and an incident where a sensitive compartmented details facility (SCIF) was left unsecured overnight. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley highlighted these issues while questioning whether the incidents were investigated and if any classified information was compromised. The messages also show staff discussing security violations, with one individual perhaps responsible for opening the SCIF before the incident. These revelations contrast with the DOJ\u2019s prosecution of Trump, which accused him of mishandling classified information, prompting Grassley to criticize what he calls a double standard of justice. The examination aims to determine if any evidence was compromised, if proper procedures were followed, and whether personnel involved faced accountability. Despite these findings, no conclusions have been made about classified information being lost or accessed improperly.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Newly released internal <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/department-of-justice\/\">Justice Department<\/a> messages appear to show classified security lapses inside former special counsel <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/jack-smith\/\">Jack Smith<\/a>\u2019s office while prosecutors under the Biden administration were pursuing President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\">Donald Trump<\/a> over his handling of classified documents.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The records, released Wednesday, describe an incident in which an individual received access to classified material without confirmation of a required \u201cneed to know,\u201d uncertainty over the movement of classified materials, and a security \u201cviolation and incident\u201d after a DOJ <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/dem-civil-war-erupts-with-name-calling-leaks\/\" title=\"Dem Civil War Erupts With Name-Calling, Leaks\">sensitive compartmented information facility<\/a>, or SCIF, was left unsecured overnight or longer. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/senate-judiciary-committee\/page\/31\/\">Senate Judiciary Committee<\/a> Chairman <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/chuck-grassley\/\">Chuck Grassley<\/a> (R-IA) released the messages while demanding answers from acting Attorney General <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/todd-blanche\/\">Todd Blanche<\/a> about whether the incidents were investigated and whether any classified material was compromised.<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4640227\/florida-judge-orders-dhs-accept-states-voter-rolls\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Florida judge allows DHS to accept four states\u2019 voter rolls, contradicting previous court order<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/supreme-court\/4639756\/appeals-court-scrutinizes-religious-exemptions-little-sisters-contraception-fight\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Appeals court scrutinizes religious exemptions in Little Sisters contraception fight<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4639518\/judge-quashes-doj-subpoena-fulton-county-2020-election-workers\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Judge quashes \u2018unreasonable\u2019 DOJ subpoena for names of Fulton County election workers<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">Former Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith testifies before the House Judiciary Committee about his investigations into President Donald Trump, Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026 at the Capitol in Washington. (AP Photo\/Jacquelyn Martin)<\/p>\n<p>&#8221; data-large-file=&#8221;https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/2026\/07\/localimages\/AP26022645381316-e1783529258723.jpg?w=696&#8243; &#8220;https:><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Former Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith testifies before the House Judiciary Committee about his investigations into President Donald Trump, Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026 at the Capitol in Washington. (AP Photo\/Jacquelyn Martin)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cTalk about the pot calling the kettle black,\u201d  Grassley said in a statement. \u201cAccording to these messages, Biden DOJ personnel may have committed the very offense for which Jack Smith was prosecuting President Trump.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-15\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-1\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a letter to Blanche, Grassley requested responses by July 22 addressing whether the apparent security failures involved evidence used in Smith\u2019s prosecution of Trump, whether anyone was disciplined, whether Trump\u2019s attorneys or the federal court overseeing the case were notified, and whether any classified information was compromised.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The communications identify multiple members of Smith\u2019s Special Counsel Office (SCO) and other Biden DOJ personnel discussing the incidents, including senior assistant special counsel Molly Gaston, prosecutor Thomas Windom, Carli Rodriguez-Feo, Julie Edelstein, William O\u2019Neil, and Stephanie Van Buskirk. The messages were produced by the Trump DOJ in response to Grassley\u2019s oversight requests.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One exchange reflects concerns that an individual had been granted access to classified material before officials confirmed the person had the requisite \u201cneed to know.\u201d Another indicates uncertainty about whether classified materials housed in a DOJ SCIF had been moved without proper accounting.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-16\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-2\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A separate chain of messages between April 18 and 19, 2024, documented what employees described as \u201ca violation and incident\u201d after a SCIF accessible to Smith\u2019s office was apparently left unsecured.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One DOJ official wrote that \u201cno one opened it yesterday because no one closed it the day before,\u201d prompting another to respond, \u201cThat\u2019s a violation and incident so I need to know the details.\u201d Additional messages urged personnel to check the SCIF before leaving because there was limited staffing available to oversee the secure facility.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">A screenshot of April 2024 internal Justice Department messages released by Sen. Chuck Grassley shows personnel assigned to former Special Counsel Jack Smith\u2019s office discussing an apparent security \u201cviolation and incident\u201d after a sensitive compartmented information facility (SCIF) was allegedly left unsecured. (Courtesy of Senate Judiciary Committee)<\/p>\n<p>&#8221; data-large-file=&#8221;https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/2026\/07\/localimages\/DOJ_Grassley_Smith.png?w=696&#8243; height=&#8221;376&#8243; width=&#8221;1024&#8243; &#8220;https:><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A screenshot of April 2024 internal Justice Department messages released by Sen. Chuck Grassley shows personnel assigned to former Special Counsel Jack Smith\u2019s office discussing an apparent security \u201cviolation and incident\u201d after a sensitive compartmented information facility (SCIF) was allegedly left unsecured. (Courtesy of Senate Judiciary Committee)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The messages also identify Van Buskirk as the person who opened the SCIF \u201cthe day before\u201d the reported security incident. According to Grassley, Van Buskirk appears to have served as an assistant to Smith. The letter does not accuse Van Buskirk or any other employee of criminal wrongdoing.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-17\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-3\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Gaston was one of Smith\u2019s senior deputies during the Biden administration and served as a lead prosecutor in the special counsel\u2019s criminal cases against Trump, including the classified documents prosecution and the federal election interference case stemming from Trump\u2019s efforts to challenge the 2020 election.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The disclosures create an awkward contrast with one of the Biden DOJ\u2019s highest-profile and most controversial prosecutions.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Smith\u2019s office accused Trump of <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >willfully retaining highly classified national defense information<\/a> after leaving office and failing to properly secure government records at his <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/mar-a-lago\/\">Mar-a-Lago<\/a> estate. The newly released messages, meanwhile, show personnel within Smith\u2019s own office discussing apparent security failures involving classified materials and a DOJ SCIF.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-25\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-4\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThese records expose yet another double standard of justice,\u201d Grassley said. \u201cWhile Hillary Clinton and <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/joe-biden\/\">Joe Biden<\/a> escaped accountability for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/bidens-democracy-lecture-reminded-americans-how-relentlessly-democrats-undermine-it\/\" title=\"Biden\u2019s \u2018Democracy\u2019 Lecture Reminded Americans How Relentlessly Democrats Undermine It\">mishandling highly classified information<\/a>, Jack Smith and the Biden DOJ set out to paint President Trump as a felon and ruin him politically.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, the letter stopped short of concluding that classified information was actually compromised.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA) tells reporters he plans to begin the confirmation hearing on July 15 for Todd Blanche, President Donald Trump\u2019s nominee to be attorney general, at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, June 16, 2026. (AP Photo\/J. Scott Applewhite)<\/p>\n<p>&#8221; data-large-file=&#8221;https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/2026\/07\/localimages\/AP26167671599192.jpg?w=696&#8243; &#8220;https:><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA) tells reporters he plans to begin the confirmation hearing on July 15 for Todd Blanche, President Donald Trump\u2019s nominee to be attorney general, at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, June 16, 2026. (AP Photo\/J. Scott Applewhite)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Instead, the chairman is seeking information on whether the Biden DOJ investigated the incidents, whether any classified evidence connected to Smith\u2019s prosecution was lost, altered, or improperly accessed, who was responsible for the reported security failures, whether anyone was held accountable, and whether Smith informed Trump\u2019s legal team or the federal court about the reported \u201cviolation and incident.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-5\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-5\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-26\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-5\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4635358\/jack-smith-interview-midterms-trump\/\">JACK SMITH SAYS HE\u2019S \u2018VERY CONCERNED\u2019 ABOUT MIDTERM ELECTIONS UNDER TRUMP<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Specifically, Grassley asked Blanche to determine whether the SCIF housed evidence used in Smith\u2019s prosecution of Trump, identify everyone granted access to classified materials held by the SCO, explain whether any internal investigation occurred, and provide the names of those responsible for the reported security failures.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Smith secured a 40-count indictment against Trump in June 2023, accusing him of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-adds-white-collar-attorney-stephen-weiss-to-classified-documents-defense-team\/\" title=\"... hires white-collar attorney Stephen Weiss for ... defense team.\">unlawfully retaining classified documents<\/a> and obstructing government efforts to recover them. The prosecution ended in July 2024, when U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump appointee, dismissed the case after ruling that Smith\u2019s appointment as special counsel violated the Constitution\u2019s Appointments Clause.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Justice Dept. messages reveal security lapses in Jack Smith&#8217;s office<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2633,"featured_media":2626667,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/AP26022645381316-e1783529258723.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[82413,7076,32690,32463,63477],"class_list":["post-2626666","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-classified-security","tag-doj","tag-government-transparency","tag-jack-smith","tag-security-lapses"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/AP26022645381316-e1783529258723.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2626666","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2633"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2626666"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2626666\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2626670,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2626666\/revisions\/2626670"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2626667"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2626666"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2626666"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2626666"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}