{"id":2672766,"date":"2026-09-29T14:39:30","date_gmt":"2026-09-29T18:39:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/no-legitimate-basis-for-smith-subpoena-of-nearly-5000-donor-checks-grassley\/"},"modified":"2026-09-29T14:42:38","modified_gmt":"2026-09-29T18:42:38","slug":"no-legitimate-basis-for-smith-subpoena-of-nearly-5000-donor-checks-grassley","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/no-legitimate-basis-for-smith-subpoena-of-nearly-5000-donor-checks-grassley\/","title":{"rendered":"&#8216;No legitimate basis&#8217; for Smith subpoena of nearly 5,000 donor checks: Grassley"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/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%2Fno-legitimate-basis-for-smith-subpoena-of-nearly-5000-donor-checks-grassley%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=2672766&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>Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley stated that former special counsel Jack Smith obtained checks from at least 4,782 Americans during his \u201cArctic Frost\u201d investigation, which provided the Biden administration access to these individuals\u2019 bank accounts, routing numbers, addresses, and signatures across all 50 states, including Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico. Grassley criticized Smith for collecting this sensitive financial data, raising concerns about privacy violations. During hearings, Grassley emphasized that Smith confirmed acquiring donor facts, including financial details, while investigating president Donald Trump and related matters such as the January 6 riot and classified documents. Grassley expressed outrage over the potential privacy breaches and suggested that constituents should be alarmed by the scope of data in government hands. The checks, which were mainly small donations to Trump campaigns and aligned groups, reportedly came from whistleblower disclosures and were routed thru former FBI agent Walter Giardina. Grassley highlighted that the investigation included data from Americans nationwide,raising privacy and ethical concerns about the government\u2019s collection and use of such financial information.  <\/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\">Senate Judiciary Committee chairman <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/chuck-grassley\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"963\">Chuck Grassley<\/a> (R-IA) says former special counsel <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/jack-smith\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"869\">Jack Smith<\/a> obtained checks from at least 4,782 Americans as part of his \u201cArctic Frost\u201d investigation, giving the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/biden-administration\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"445\">Biden administration<\/a> access to these individuals\u2019 bank accounts and routing numbers.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Grassley grilled Smith about the collection of these checks and the privacy consequences of those checks getting into the government\u2019s hands. Grassley said the checks included home addresses, bank account and routing numbers, and signatures from Americans across all 50 states, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/washington-dc\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"260\">Washington, D.C.<\/a>, and <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/puerto-rico\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"935\">Puerto Rico<\/a>.<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<style>.explore-more-section { background: var(--wex-bg); border-top: 1px solid #ffffff; border-bottom: 1px solid #ffffff; margin: 24px 0; margin-top: -20px; }<\/style>\n<style id=\"mos-0af490d0-452b-4a3b-b33b-cb08380d11e9-style\">@scope (#mos-0af490d0-452b-4a3b-b33b-cb08380d11e9) { .we-meter {   --we-red: #DB3745;   --we-charcoal: #323E48;   --we-blue: #15BEF0;   --we-slate: #85A0AB;   --we-gold: #ECC270;   --we-text: #323E48;   --we-border: #85A0AB;    max-width: 800px;   margin: 0 auto;   padding: 1.5rem;   border: 1px solid rgba(33, 39, 42, 0.4);   border-radius: 12px;   background: #fff;   color: var(--we-text);   font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif !important; }  .we-grid {   display: grid;   grid-template-columns: 1fr 200px;   gap: 1.5rem;   align-items: center; }  .we-title {   margin: 0 0 0.5rem;   font-family: Constantia, \"Lucida Bright\", \"DejaVu Serif\", Georgia, \"serif\" !important;   font-size: 1.75rem !important;   line-height: 1.1 !important;   letter-spacing: -0.02em !important; }  .we-title span {   display: block;   color: var(--we-red); }  .we-copy {   margin: 0;   font-size: 1rem !important;   line-height: 1.4 !important; }  .we-actions {   text-align: center; }  .we-cta {   display: flex;   align-items: center;   justify-content: center;   gap: 8px;   width: 100%;   padding: 12px 16px;   border-radius: 8px;   background: var(--we-red);   color: #fff !important;   text-decoration: none;   font-size: 0.9rem !important;   font-weight: 700 !important; }  .we-arrow {   font-size: 1.2em !important; }  .we-member {   margin: 12px 0 0;   font-size: 0.85rem !important;   line-height: 1.4 !important; }  .we-member a {   color: var(--we-red);   text-decoration: none; }  @media (max-width: 600px) {   .we-grid {     grid-template-columns: 1fr;     gap: 1rem;   }   .we-meter {     padding: 1.25rem;   }   .we-cta {     padding: 14px;   } } }<\/style>\n<p><script>if (typeof CSSScopeRule == 'undefined') { const style = document.getElementById('mos-0af490d0-452b-4a3b-b33b-cb08380d11e9-style'); if (style) { style.textContent = style.textContent.replace(\/^@scope (#mos-0af490d0-452b-4a3b-b33b-cb08380d11e9) { \/, '').replace(\/}$\/, '');}}<\/script><\/p>\n<div id=\"mos-0af490d0-452b-4a3b-b33b-cb08380d11e9\" style=\"display: contents;\">\n<section class=\"we-meter\" aria-label=\"Washington Examiner subscription meter\">\n<div class=\"we-grid\">\n<div>\n<h2 class=\"we-title\">Stay informed.<span>Stay ahead.<\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"we-copy\">                  Join Washington Examiner for unlimited access to the news, analysis, and commentary that matter most.       <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"we-actions\">       <a class=\"we-cta\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/subscribe\/digital\/\">         <span>See Options<\/span>         <span class=\"we-arrow\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\u203a<\/span>       <\/a>       <\/p>\n<p class=\"we-member\">Already a member? <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/sign-in\/\">Log in<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cNo matter what you say, there\u2019s no legitimate basis for what you did,\u201d Grassley said to Smith during Tuesday\u2019s hearing. \u201cEspecially since your staff killed an investigation into the Clinton campaign. Donations to Republican groups wasn\u2019t necessary to your investigation, which is proved out by the fact it wasn\u2019t mentioned in your public report.\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\">Smith confirmed that he obtained donor data, including financial information, during his testimony on Tuesday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cYes, we acquired financial information,\u201d Smith said Tuesday, referencing his investigations into President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"4\">Donald Trump<\/a>. \u201cAs I sit here right now, I cannot recite to you every subpoena we issued. I can tell you why we issued subpoenas, and it was to conduct a criminal investigation of one of the most serious crimes that\u2019s ever happened in our nation\u2019s history. I had a duty to collect facts.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Smith\u2019s testimony on Tuesday centered on his two investigations of Trump: his investigation of the Jan. 6 riot and the 2020 election, and his investigations of the classified documents case.<\/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\">\u201cNow, the Justice Department and the FBI, will forever possess thousands of people\u2019s address, phone number, bank and bank account number, bank routing number, and a copy of their true signature,\u201d Grassley said. \u201cEvery member of this committee ought to be outraged for what happened to their constituents.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/4746680\/kennedy-berates-smith-over-conversations-garland-make-me-want-throw-up-in-my-mouth\/\">KENNEDY BERATES SMITH OVER CONVERSATIONS WITH GARLAND: \u2018YOU MAKE ME WANT TO THROW UP IN MY MOUTH\u2019<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to Grassley\u2019s office, the news of the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.grassley.senate.gov\/imo\/media\/doc\/personal_checks.pdf\">checks<\/a> comes from whistleblower disclosures, and the checks were routed to former FBI Special Agent Walter Giardina.<\/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\">The donations made to Trump\u2019s campaign and Trump-aligned groups were largely small-dollar donations, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.grassley.senate.gov\/news\/news-releases\/breaking-jack-smiths-team-collected-checks-from-nearly-5000-americans-in-all-50-states\">according<\/a> to Grassley.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Grassley: Jack Smith accessed 4,782 Americans&#8217; bank info<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3976,"featured_media":2672767,"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\/09\/image-collage-c07mz69xz-1790698204416.jpg?1790683877&amp;w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[33926,86435,52583,7608,7836],"class_list":["post-2672766","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-campaign-finance","tag-donor-checks","tag-grassley-2","tag-smith","tag-subpoena"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/image-collage-c07mz69xz-1790698204416.jpg?1790683877&amp;w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2672766","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\/3976"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2672766"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2672766\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2672769,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2672766\/revisions\/2672769"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2672767"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2672766"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2672766"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2672766"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}