Biden's Special Counsel Accused of Overstepping Legal Boundaries

WHO:

Fox News - Jack Smith, special counsel; 44 members of Congress; President Trump.

NY Post - Jack Smith, special counsel; members of Congress from both parties.

WHAT:

Fox News - Text messages from 44 members of Congress were collected during the Trump probe.

NY Post - The Jack Smith team viewed messages between Trump officials and dozens of lawmakers.

WHERE:

Fox News - The investigation pertains to actions taken in Washington, D.C., involving Congress.

WHY:

Fox News - Republicans claim the actions of the Trump probe team represent an "abuse of power."

NY Post - The actions are described as having "ran roughshod over the Constitution."

HOW:

Fox News - The Trump probe team bypassed its own filter review process to collect the messages.

(UPDATED July 15, 2026 00:13 UTC)

In a significant development, the investigation led by special counsel Jack Smith has collected text messages from 44 members of Congress as part of the Trump probe, which focuses on actions taken in Washington, D.C. Both Fox News and the New York Post report that the Smith team reviewed communications between Trump officials and these lawmakers, raising concerns among Republicans who claim this represents an "abuse of power" and has "ran roughshod over the Constitution." Notably, it has been revealed that the Trump probe team bypassed its own filter review process to gather these messages.