Judicial Watch Sues Justice Department for Special Counsel Jack Smith Emails on His Targeting of Donald Trump

(Washington, DC) – Judicial Watch announced today that it filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Justice for the emails of former Special Counsel Jack Smith with officials in Georgia and New York and with the White House, congressional and law enforcement offices regarding his investigation into President-elect Donald Trump (Judicial Watch Inc. v U.S. Department of Justice (No. 1:25-cv-03849)).

Judicial Watch sued in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia after the Justice Department failed to respond to two FOIA requests. The first, on November 13, 2024, asks for:

• All e-mails of Special Counsel Jack Smith between November 5, 2024, and November 13, 2024.

On November 21, 2024, Judicial Watch requested:

• All communications of any current or former member of the Smith’s office since November 1, 2022, regarding investigation into President-elect Trump, including those with:

• • Any New York State governmental or law enforcement office
  • Fulton County District Attorney’s office or Georgia secretary of State’s office
  • White House, Congressional or Senate office
  • Any federal law enforcement or government office

Smith reportedly coordinated prosecutions of Trump with Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, New York Attorney General Letitia James, and Fulton County, Georgia, District Attorney Fani Willis. The House Judiciary Committee recently subpoenaed Smith for a deposition about the federal prosecutions he brought against Trump during the Biden administration. 

“The American people deserve transparency about the lawfare committed by Smith and others against Donald Trump,” Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton said.

Judicial Watch is a national leader in exposing the lawfare and abuse targeting President Trump and other American citizens.

In June 2025, Judicial Watch sued Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes for her communications with Smith (Judicial Watch v. Kristin Mayes and Arizona Department of Law (CV 2025-020674).

In March 2025, Judicial Watch sued the Justice Department for details of any investigations, inquiries, or referrals concerning potential misconduct of any person working for Smith (Judicial Watch Inc. v U.S. Department of Justice (No. 1:25-cv-00801)).

Also in March, Georgia District Attorney Fani Willis was ordered to turn over 212 pages of records to a state court judge. The court also ordered Willis to detail how the records were found and the reason for withholding them from the public. The records were belatedly found in response to a Judicial Watch request and lawsuit for communications with Smith and the House January 6 Committee (Judicial Watch Inc. v. Fani Willis et al. (No. 24-CV-002805)). 

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