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Saturday, July 18, 2026
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Friday, July 17, 2026
Former special counsel Jack Smith is being considered for a criminal referral to the Justice Department, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, said Wednesday, as Republicans examine whether Smith misled lawmakers during testimony about his investigation into President Donald Trump.
"We're already looking at that," Jordan told "Hannity" when asked about the potential criminal referral.
"Do we need to refer him to the Justice Department, to Attorney General Blanche, for them to go ahead and move forward with prosecution? We're looking at that as we speak."
Jordan pointed to Smith's congressional testimony regarding his office's acquisition of telephone toll records, in which Smith said investigators did not obtain the contents of communications.
"Toll records were sought for historical telephone routing information, collected after calls had taken place, identifying the incoming and outgoing call numbers, the time of the calls and their duration," Smith testified at the time. "Toll records do not include the content of calls."
Jordan argued that newly disclosed information shows Smith's team obtained and reviewed congressional text messages, which he said contradicted Smith's testimony that investigators sought only telephone toll records — not texts or the broader contents of communications.
APOLOGIES AND CASH HEADED TO ALLEGED 'WEAPONIZATION' VICTIMS IN BILLION-DOLLAR TRUMP SETTLEMENT
In December, Smith told the committee, "No, I don't recall," when asked whether he had sought a search warrant for text messages from members of Congress, and responded, "Correct," when asked whether investigators had only sought toll records.
Smith was thrust back into the spotlight Wednesday during acting Attorney General Todd Blanche’s confirmation hearing when Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., pressed the Justice Department over newly revealed allegations regarding the Biden-era special counsel's review of lawmakers' text messages.
Kennedy referred to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, who announced Tuesday that records provided to the committee showed Smith's team obtained and reviewed text messages involving 44 current and former lawmakers as part of the Trump election probe. Kennedy was not among those on the list released by Grassley's office.
MIKE DAVIS: WHY SENATE MUST IGNORE OBAMA JUDGE'S ATTACK ON AG NOMINEE TODD BLANCHE
Blanche confirmed that the DOJ is investigating.
"They got my phone logs," Jordan said.
"There were 44 members of the United States Congress — members, senators, members of the House. Even some Democrats, a handful of Democrats, were caught up in this. Again, you can't do that... it wasn't just the toll. I never forget the toll records issue," he continued.
Jordan accused Smith's team of going to "another branch of government" and obtaining the information without a warrant.
"They got it, and they didn't screen it, and then Jack Smith, under oath, says, 'No, no. We didn't get any contents.' Well, shazam, it looks like they did, and it looks like he wasn't square with us when he testified in front of our committee," he said.
Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., reacted similarly on Wednesday, insisting on "Hannity" that Smith should be "prosecuted."
"What did he do with the text messages? We don't know that yet. What we do know is he absolutely read them. He absolutely shared them with members of his team and all of that illegally," Hawley alleged.
"The Justice Department requires that there be screening for any members of Congress [regarding] their text messages. Jack Smith said under oath that he didn't seek the text messages of members of Congress, but in fact, we know that he did. So he lied, he violated the law, he violated the Constitution. This guy ought to be prosecuted."
Representatives for Smith did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
Fox News' Ashley J. DiMella contributed to this report.
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Controversial New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is being torn to shreds for fraternizing with inmates at Rikers Island while they watched the World Cup semifinals on Wednesday afternoon.
The Associated Press filmed Mamdani walking into a recreation room where inmates in tan jumpsuits were watching the game between Argentina and England. He sat down at a table and smiled while speaking to the inmates as the audio of the game played in the background.
His voice was then dubbed over the video.
"I hope that this shares with people who are incarcerated here on Rikers that they too are a part of New York City," Mamdani said. "The World Cup has been a magical moment for the entire city."
He also insisted in the impromptu on-camera remarks that the convicts were part of the New York City community.
"These are New Yorkers, and they will be New Yorkers when they get out of Rikers. They are New Yorkers today, and I wanted to make sure we could celebrate this moment together," the socialist mayor said.
Mamdani was scorched online for the stunt, with users launching into the mayor who has been viewed as soft-on-crime, and has recently cut NYPD's budget by about $22 million.
MAMDANI WALKS BACK PLAN TO INCREASE NYPD HEADCOUNT FOLLOWING DSA PRESSURE
"As usual, communists prioritizing criminals and leeches over the honest working middle class and the movers and shakers," one user said.
"Can this guy be on the right side of any subject," said another. "How dumb are New Yorkers, to see this guy and go 'yes. That’s the leader we need.'"
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A third wrote: "Mamdani is literally laughing in everyone’s face for electing him by openly palling around with criminals every chance he can get."
"Unbelievable. He's now partying with prisoners. Great job voting for him, New Yorkers!" said another.
"Only a violent commie bastard would glorify the worst of criminals," yet another lamented. "They are deliberately NOT PART of society because they lost the privilege. What the f--- message is raining charity on them trying to send?"
In the past, Mamdani notoriously questioned what purpose prisons serve, suggesting they should be abolished.
Meanwhile rapes are up 6.6% in New York City compared to this time last year. Mamdani was similarly excoriated online when he blamed the "definition of what counts as rape" for that statistic rising.
Mamdani's office did not respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
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FIRST ON FOX - Republican Congressman Greg Steube from Florida has filed an article of impeachment against Judge John E. Steele, Fox News Digital has learned.
House Resolution 1431 accuses Senior U.S. District Judge John E. Steele of the Middle District of Florida of committing "high crimes and misdemeanors" by ordering the release of convicted Cuban plane hijacker Miakel Guerra Morales from ICE custody.
Morales, who is an illegal immigrant from Cuba, was released from ICE custody following Judge Steele's July 8 order.
ILLEGAL ALIEN ‘PIRATE’ WHO HIJACKED PLANE TO US FREED BY CLINTON-APPOINTED JUDGE
"This is exactly the kind of activist judicial overreach the American people are sick of. Judge Steele had every legal justification to keep a convicted plane hijacker off our streets, and he chose to let him go instead," Congressman Steube said.
In 2003, Morales and several others assaulted a flight crew and hijacked a Cuban commuter airplane that he boarded in Nueva Gerona, DHS says.
Morales forced the pilot to fly more than 100 miles north to Monroe County, Florida, where it eventually landed at Key West International Airport.
The U.S. Marshals Service arrested him and charged him with aircraft piracy and conspiracy to interfere with a flight crew when the flight arrived.
He was convicted and sentenced to 22 years behind bars.
Despite the conviction, Judge Steele, who was appointed by President Bill Clinton, ordered Morales' release last week, citing a Supreme Court ruling governing the detention of foreign nationals whose removal cannot be carried out.
BIDEN JUDGE OVERRULED ON KEY TRUMP IMMIGRATION POLICY
"The Government cannot lock individuals in a cell indefinitely as a workaround for a stalled deportation process," the order said.
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Thursday, July 16, 2026
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