Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley released internal Justice Department messages Wednesday showing that Biden DOJ personnel, including individuals assigned to Special Counsel Jack Smith's office, potentially mishandled classified materials while Smith was prosecuting President Trump for that very offense.

The messages, obtained through Grassley's oversight requests, reveal multiple instances where classified information protocols were allegedly violated by the same department that built its case against Trump on claims of improper document handling.

The Double Standard Exposed

"Talk about the pot calling the kettle black," Grassley said in a statement accompanying his four-page letter to Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. "According to these messages, Biden DOJ personnel may have committed the very offense for which Jack Smith was prosecuting President Trump."

The internal communications documented by Grassley reveal disturbing patterns. In one instance, an individual was given access to classified materials without confirming they had the requisite "need to know" clearance. Another message revealed at least one instance of classified information being mishandled in ways that would typically trigger security violations.

Grassley posted on social media that the messages indicate "hypocritical and careless behavior" that merits further investigation.

A History of Selective Prosecution

The Iowa Republican has long argued that the Biden Justice Department applied a double standard when it came to classified document cases. While Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden both faced accusations of mishandling sensitive materials, neither was prosecuted. Trump, meanwhile, was indicted on 37 counts related to classified documents found at Mar-a-Lago.

"While Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden escaped accountability for mishandling highly classified information, Jack Smith and the Biden DOJ set out to paint President Trump as a felon and ruin him politically," Grassley said. "These and other records I've made public show the Biden Justice Department was unquestionably careless, not to mention highly hypocritical."

The Classified Documents Case That Was

Smith's prosecution of Trump for retaining classified documents was dismissed by U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon in July 2024, who ruled that Smith's appointment as special counsel was unconstitutional. The case was never revived.

The newly released messages add another layer of controversy to what critics always described as a politically motivated prosecution. If DOJ personnel were themselves failing to follow classified information protocols while building a case against Trump for similar alleged violations, it undercuts the moral and legal authority of the entire investigation.

Questions for the Current DOJ

Grassley's letter demands answers from Acting Attorney General Blanche about what steps, if any, were taken to address the security lapses documented in the messages. The chairman also wants to know whether any referrals were made for prosecution or administrative action against the personnel involved.

The revelations come at a time when the Trump administration has been working to reform the Justice Department and root out what the President has called political bias within the agency. These messages may provide additional ammunition for those efforts.

For conservatives who argued from the start that the Trump prosecutions were politically motivated, the Grassley disclosures represent vindication. The agency that pursued Trump for document handling appears to have had its own house deeply out of order.