Department of Justice emails have revealed that Special Counsel Jack Smith's team identified additional Republican lawmakers whose phone records were sought as part of the investigation into former President Donald Trump's efforts to challenge the 2020 election results.

The emails show that Smith's team specifically identified House and Senate members who had interactions with former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani during the period when Trump was pursuing legal challenges to the election outcome.

The scope of the special counsel's investigation into communications between Trump associates and congressional Republicans has expanded beyond what was previously known publicly. The phone record requests were part of Smith's broader investigation into Trump's actions following the 2020 presidential election.

Meadows served as Trump's chief of staff during the final months of his presidency and was a central figure in Trump's efforts to contest the election results. Giuliani, who served as Trump's personal attorney, led many of the legal challenges in various states following the election.

The revelation of these additional lawmakers comes as Smith's investigation continues into Trump's alleged attempts to overturn the 2020 election results. The special counsel has been examining various aspects of Trump's post-election activities, including communications with government officials and other associates during the transition period.