Jack Smith Case Handed to Trump-Appointed Judge After Mass Recusal

Jack Smith Case Assigned to Trump-Appointed Judge After Mass Recusals

A lawsuit against former special counsel Jack Smith has been assigned to a Trump-appointed federal judge after all active district judges in Middle Tennessee recused themselves from the case.

The lawsuit was filed by Republican Senator Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, who is challenging investigators’ acquisition of cellphone toll records she says were connected to her legislative work.

Blackburn alleges that investigators violated constitutional protections and that a nondisclosure order prevented her from challenging the subpoena before the records were handed over by Verizon. These allegations have not yet been resolved in court.

The case has now been assigned to U.S. District Judge Douglas R. Cole of Ohio, who was appointed by President Donald Trump. The reassignment was made by a senior judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit after the judges in the Middle District of Tennessee stepped aside.

The reasons for the district-wide recusals have not been publicly explained in the reports reviewed.

The case raises legal questions about congressional protections, investigators’ access to lawmakers’ records, and the authority under which Smith served as special counsel. The assignment of a new judge does not determine the outcome of the lawsuit.

What happens next?

Judge Cole will oversee the proceedings as the court considers the legal arguments. The lawsuit’s central claims remain unresolved, and the judge’s appointment by Trump does not, by itself, indicate how he will rule.

Source: Reporting published October 15–16, 2026.