Ethan Harper Mizzou Esq
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Ethan Harper (left) is Chief Counsel to Schmitt, and Andrew Ceonzo (right) is Counsel to Schmitt and the Senate Judiciary Committee.
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tdb
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The Republican senator who flubbed a gotcha moment while questioning former Special Counsel Jack Smith knew the evidence he cited had not been vetted, a new report claims.
Eric Schmitt was warned in advance that the series of text messages he proudly displayed at Tuesday's hearing were not properly vetted, a source familiar with the matter tells MS NOW.
Schmitt tried to corner Smith by asking whether he attended an Atlanta Hawks basketball game, a roundabout way of suggesting he was colluding with Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, who was investigating President Donald Trump's election interference in Georgia.
Smith, Schmitt claimed, committed perjury when he said he did not go to a Hawks game in February 2024. Smith answered that he had actually been at an Iowa Hawkeyes women's basketball game instead—creating a viral moment that continues to embarrass Schmitt.
The mishap originated when the Justice Department shared the texts with GOP staff on the Judiciary Committee, according to MS NOW. Chairman Chuck Grassley's staff omitted the texts from a memo about information to be used in the hearing. Grassley did not share the messages with his Democratic colleagues, either.
Schmitt's staff, the report claims, searched for information that might show a connection between Willis' investigation and Smith's. They were then given the texts, but with a warning that they had not been vetted. Schmitt's staff was reportedly told they would need to complete the necessary vetting.
They apparently did not.
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AN 10 26 // AXIOS VP?
Politico reports a GOP senator’s recent blunder was so bad it may already be impacting staff trying to flee the senator’s office.
“Ethan Harper, the general counsel to Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), was expected to leave his role on Friday and begin a new one in the White House Staff Secretary’s office next week, according to three people familiar with the plans granted anonymity to discuss them,” reports Politico. “But that transition was in doubt today following a congressional hearing that’s embroiled Schmitt in controversy, the people said.”
Politico reports that there is no evidence Harper was responsible for the monstrous gaffe Schmitt unleashed when he failed to trap former special investigator Jack Smith with allegations of colluding with other prosecutors investigating President Donald Trump.
On Tuesday, Jack Smith faced questioning at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, in which Republicans attempted to attack his investigations into Trump’s alleged corruption. At one point, Schmitt, with the aid of posters, tried to accuse Smith of colluding with Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis in his investigations, basing his logic on Smith supposedly attending an Atlanta Hawks basketball game in February 2024.
But, as it turned out, Schmitt had bungled his teams, and Smith had actually attended an Iowa Hawkeyes women's college basketball game. Before he was brutally corrected, Schmitt went so far as to accuse Smith of perjury when he denied attending the Atlanta Hawks game. The incident was widely criticized, among pundits and Schmitt's own colleagues, as an embarrassing travesty.
But Harper was the staffer standing behind Schmitt, holding up a board displaying screenshots of text messages as the senator falsely accused Smith of lying to Congress about attending the basketball game, reports Politico. And the evidence on the board failed to establish that Smith was at an Atlanta Hawks game as Schmitt had planned. Sen. Amy Klobuchar(D-Minn.) suggested Schmitt get his facts “together” before throwing insults at his next inquiry.
Politico reports Harper’s move to the White House was set before Tuesday’s hearing, according to two of the sources talking to Politico.
“Harper’s planned move would take him from Schmitt’s office to the White House office that manages the flow of documents and other materials to the president,” Politico reports. “Harper, a Harvard Law graduate, previously worked for Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) and D. John Sauer, then Missouri’s solicitor general. He also clerked for Judge W. Duane Benton of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.”
Politico reports Schmitt described Harper as a “crucial part of the judicial vetting process in his Senate office who interviews candidates for judicial openings.”
The White House declined to comment, according to Politico, and Schmitt’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
POLITICO attempted to contact Harper but calls were not immediately returned.
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pko
Ethan Harper, the general counsel to Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), was expected to leave his role on Friday and begin a new one in the White House Staff Secretary’s office next week, according to three people familiar with the plans granted anonymity to discuss them.
But that transition was in doubt today following a congressional hearing that’s embroiled Schmitt in controversy, the people said.
Harper was the staffer standing behind Schmitt, holding up a board displaying screenshots of text messages as the senator falsely accused Jack Smith of lying to Congress about attending a basketball game as a guise to investigate President Donald Trump.
The evidence on the board did not establish that Smith was at an Atlanta Hawks game as Schmitt hoped. Smith said he recalled attending a University of Maryland women’s basketball game around that time, where former Iowa star Caitlin Clark was playing. Sen. Amy Klobuchar(D-Minn.) suggested Schmitt had confused the Iowa Hawkeyes with the Atlanta Hawks.
There is no evidence Harper was responsible for the gaffe.
Harper’s move to the White House was set before Tuesday’s hearing, according to two of the people.
Harper’s planned move would take him from Schmitt’s office to the White House office that manages the flow of documents and other materials to the president.
Harper, a Harvard Law graduate, previously worked for Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) and D. John Sauer, then Missouri’s solicitor general. He also clerked for Judge W. Duane Benton of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.
Schmitt has described Harper as a crucial part of the judicial vetting process in his Senate office who interviews candidates for judicial openings.
The White House declined to comment. Schmitt’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. POLITICO attempted to contact Harper but calls were not immediately returned.
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Harvard Law School
https://hls.harvard.edu › events › the-senate-judiciary-committee-in-trump-ii
Judicial Selection in the Second Trump Administration
Apr 16, 2025Join the Federalist Society in conversation with Ethan Harper (counsel for Sen. Eric Schmitt) and Prof. Adrian Vermeule (HLS) to discuss the Senate Judiciary Committee and judicial appointments in the Second Trump Administration.
DELETED
https://www.linkedin.com › posts ›deleted
A few weeks ago, I graduated from Harvard Law School and was honored with the Dean's Award for Community Leadership. The last three years have been a tremendous opportunity for personal growth and ...
I enjoyed speaking on a panel yesterday about administrative law and ...
I enjoyed speaking on a panel yesterday about administrative law and regulation with my good pal Ethan Harper and some new Missouri friends at the 2025 Federalist Society Missouri Chapters Conference.
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https://www.linkedin.com › in › andrew-ceonzo
Counsel - U.S. Sen. Eric Schmitt & Senate Judiciary Committee · Experience: United States Senate · Education: George Mason University - Antonin Scalia Law School · Location: United States ...
Andrew Ceonzo's Post - LinkedIn
I'm happy to share that I started a new position as Counsel* for Sen. Eric Schmitt and the Senate Judiciary Committee *Not yet admitted to the bar; bar application pending | 30 comments on LinkedIn
x.com
https://x.com › marisakabas2 › status › 2105035053520789508
Marisa Kabas (marisakabas.bsky.social) on X: "Scoop — I've ID'd the two ...
Scoop — I've ID'd the two men sitting behind Sen. Eric Schmitt during his botched attack on Jack Smith this morning. Ethan Harper (left) is Chief Counsel to Schmitt, and Andrew Ceonzo (right) is Counsel to Schmitt and the Senate Judiciary Committee.
The Federalist Society
https://fedsoc.org › bio › andrew-ceonzo
Daniel Flores is a Senior Counsel on the Republican staff of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, U.S. House of Representatives. Prior to his current position, he served in the House as Chief Counsel for the House Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Regulatory Reform, Commercial and Antitrust Law.
Bluesky
https://bsky.app › profile › marisakabas.bsky.social › post › 3mwok5cfx4k2i
Post by @marisakabas.bsky.social — Bluesky
2 days agoScoop — I've ID'd the two men sitting behind Sen. Eric Schmitt during his botched attack on Jack Smith this morning. Ethan Harper (left) is Chief Counsel to Schmitt, and Andrew Ceonzo (right) is Counsel to Schmitt and the Senate Judiciary Committee. [contains quote post or other embedded content]
Above the Law
Eric Schmitt Drags Harvard And ASSLaw Into Jack Smith Hearing Faceplant
1 day agoThe other was Andrew Ceonzo, counsel to Schmitt and the Senate Judiciary Committee, and a product of the Antonin Scalia Law School, or ASSLaw, as it shall forever be known.
POLITICO
Eric Schmitt defends mix-up that led to viral gaffe during ... - POLITICO
1 day agoDuring a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing Tuesday morning, Schmitt was gearing up to deal what he thought would be a crushing blow to Smith, a longtime GOP target for his handling of two ...
showmeprogress.com
https://showmeprogress.com › 2026 › 09 › 29 › on-becoming-a-meme-for-epic-stupidity
On becoming a meme for epic stupidity | Show Me Progress
2 days agoHeh. Some of the responses: Scoop — I've ID'd the two men sitting behind Sen. Eric Schmitt during his botched attack on Jack Smith this morning. Ethan Harper (left) is Chief Counsel to Schmitt, and Andrew Ceonzo (right) is Counsel to Schmitt and the Senate Judiciary Committee. Trial lawyer here.
The Federalist Society
California v. EPA: Using the Congressional Review Act to Roll Back ...
Sep 16, 2026Michael Buschbacher, Managing Partner, Boyden Gray PLLC Andrew Ceonzo, Counsel to U.S. Senator Schmitt and the Senate Judiciary Committee (Moderator) Daniel M. Flores, Senior Counsel, Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, U.S. House of Representatives
Yahoo
https://www.yahoo.com › news › politics › articles › eric-schmitt-failed-jack-smith-170507133.html
Eric Schmitt's failed Jack Smith gotcha exposes GOP propaganda
TodayThat was plainly the ambition behind Missouri Republican Sen. Eric Schmitt's performance on Tuesday at the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing with former special counsel Jack Smith.
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