Grassley says Jack Smith obtained thousands of Trump donor checks

Former special counsel Jack Smith told the Senate Judiciary Committee on Sept. 29, 2026, that his team acquired financial information. Sen. Chuck Grassley said whistleblower disclosures show the team obtained 4,782 checks from Americans who donated to Trump and Republican entities between September 2019 and August 2023, some as small as $1. Grassley said the records cover all 50 states, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico, including 42 Iowans, and were routed to former FBI Special Agent Walter Giardina in the Arctic Frost investigation. Grassley said the Justice Department and FBI will forever possess thousands of people's addresses, phone numbers, bank account and routing numbers, and signatures. He told Smith there was no legitimate basis for the action, that Republican donations were not necessary to the investigation, and that every committee member ought to be outraged. Smith said he could not recite every subpoena issued. Grassley posted a redacted $10 check from an Osage, Iowa donor on X. Katie Pavlich compared the episode to IRS targeting during the Tea Party movement. Rated coverage in the record is entirely right-rated. No left- or center-rated coverage was found. Grassley's office said there may be additional subpoena returns.