The Department of Justice (DOJ) is asking a federal court to conceal the names of top staff working in special counsel Jack Smith’s office, according to Judicial Watch.
Judicial Watch filed its lawsuit in May 2023 after the DOJ declined a Freedom of Information Act request to release staff rosters or records of employees hired by Smith. The DOJ confirmed in April 2023 that it possessed two such staff rosters but declined to release them, citing “privacy interests,” according to Judicial Watch.
Judicial Watch said in a Monday court filing that it is only seeking information regarding top level staffers who “tend to be decision makers or supervisors or possess specialized skills, knowledge, and experience.”
“Defendant’s argument that disclosing the more-than-one-year-old rosters could reasonably be expected to interfere with the [special counsel’s office] work because it could lead to the SCO’s staff being threatened and harassed is entirely conclusory, little more than speculation, and lacks meaningful evidentiary support,” the motion states. “It also ignores the fact that the names of at least 23 SCO staffers are readily available from public sources, yet the public availability of these names and in some instances email addresses and a cell phone number does not seem to have had any discernible impact on the functioning of the SCO.” (RELATED: Former DOJ Official Says Jack Smith’s Rush To Put Trump On Trial Is ‘Wildly Unfair’)
BREAKING: The DOJ is asking a federal court to allow the agency to keep secret the names of top staffers working in Special Counsel Jack Smith’s office that is targeting former President Donald Trump and other Americans (1/3). https://t.co/u6H3VmpSrQ
— Judicial Watch ⚖️ (@JudicialWatch) February 14, 2024
Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton said in a statement that knowing the individuals on Smith’s team is even more urgent following allegations that Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, who is prosecuting Trump’s Georgia case, hired her romantic partner Nathan Wade and benefited from awarding him a lucrative contract.
“Special Counsel Jack Smith isn’t above the law, and the American people have the right to know about just who is working on his unprecedented and politicized anti-Trump investigation,” Fitton said. “Given the scandalous revelations about the Fani Willis prosecution team targeting Trump, it is especially urgent Americans know just who the top people on Jack Smith’s staff are.”
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