Jack Smith’s denial of John Brennan meeting contradicted by declassified records

Former special counsel Jack Smith told the Senate Judiciary Committee on September 29, 2026 that he had never met former CIA director John Brennan.

White House officials later declassified documents indicating that two of Smith’s assistant counsels, along with FBI agents, met with Brennan at CIA headquarters in McLean, Virginia on November 3, 2023. The memo describing the encounter said the purpose was “to discuss expert testimony to National Defense Information in the forthcoming trial,” suggesting the team was exploring Brennan’s national‑security expertise for the Arctic Frost investigation into classified material allegedly stored at Mar‑a‑Lago.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R‑IA) said the meeting constituted “consultation or counsel” from Brennan to Smith’s team and called Smith’s earlier response “highly evasive and misleading, at minimum.” Grassley had asked Smith whether he had ever received any consultation or counsel from Brennan, a question that extended beyond whether Smith personally met the former director.

The declassified records also included two pages of CIA‑headquarters‑letterhead notes bearing Brennan’s name, though much of the text was redacted. The documents note that Brennan was not serving as CIA director during the period covered by the classified‑documents case and did not appear to have firsthand knowledge of President Trump’s handling of the documents.

Republican lawmakers have used the revelation to press further criticism of Smith’s prosecutions, arguing that the special counsel’s investigations display political bias and overreach. Critics such as Harvard Law professor Alan Dershowitz have labeled Smith’s work a partisan weapon, while investigative reporter John Solomon described the probes as part of a decade‑long conspiracy to stop Trump.

Smith has defended his actions, saying his decisions are driven by evidence and that he rejects allegations of political motivation. His attorneys did not respond to requests for comment regarding the Brennan meeting.

The next hearing of the Senate Judiciary Committee is expected to address the fallout from the newly released documents and whether further oversight of Smith’s investigations will be pursued.