FBI Director Kash Patel said newly disclosed records show Special Counsel Jack Smith’s team paid $20,000 to a confidential source during its investigation into President Donald Trump’s attempts to overturn the 2020 election. Patel made the announcement Saturday in a post on X.
Jack Smith’s team approved a $20,000 payment to an informant to target President Trump and his allies in Arctic Frost.
— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) January 10, 2026
That’s not law enforcement, it’s weaponization.
This FBI is exposing the truth, producing records, and restoring accountability. pic.twitter.com/44Df6hf64m
The approval for the payment to a “human” source allegedly occurred in 2023 and involved senior officials in Smith’s office, according to a report from conservative outlet Just the News.
Trump responded to the report in a post on Truth Social.
“Deranged Jack Smith should be sitting in prison for all that he has done to disgrace our Country!” Trump wrote.
The document was part of a larger release of records related to the FBI’s investigation into Smith’s office and the extent of its probe during the Biden administration.
