Attorneys for former special counsel Jack Smith called his actions "entirely lawful, proper and consistent with established Department of Justice policy" in defending the investigative steps taken by his team, including obtaining phone records of sitting Republican lawmakers as part of the probe of President Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election.

Earlier this month, Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley, who leads the Senate Judiciary Committee, published a document alleging that the phone data from eight GOP senators and one Republican House member were obtained by the FBI as part of Smith's investigation into efforts by President Trump and his allies to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

In a letter to Grassley dated Monday, Smith's attorneys Lanny A. Breuer and Peter Ko

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