Former special counsel Jack Smith testifies publicly before the House Judiciary Committee at 10 a.m. ET, defending his investigations of President Donald Trump as Republicans scrutinize his role in the 2024 election period.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Former special counsel Jack Smith is testifying Thursday morning before the House Judiciary Committee, marking his first public congressional testimony as Republicans investigate his prosecutions of President Donald Trump and what they characterize as election interference tied to the 2024 race.
Smith’s appearance follows two high-profile federal prosecutions brought against Trump during Smith’s tenure. In June 2023, Smith charged Trump in Miami with 37 federal counts related to the retention of presidential records at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence, a property protected by U.S. Secret Service personnel at the time. In a separate case filed in Washington, D.C., Smith charged Trump with four counts, including conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, obstruction of and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding, and conspiracy against rights.
According to Republicans on the committee, the hearing will focus on Smith’s prosecutorial decisions and his legal theories, particularly those related to Trump’s public statements questioning the outcome of the 2020 election. During a prior closed-door deposition, Smith said Trump did not have a First Amendment right to challenge the election results.
Smith is expected to defend his investigations and reject what he has described as “false narratives” surrounding his actions. According to reporting cited by The Hill, Smith will stand by his charging decisions during his public testimony before the committee, as outlined in multiple reports.
“Our investigation developed proof beyond a reasonable doubt that President Trump engaged in criminal activity,” Smith is expected to say in his opening statement, according to The Associated Press. “If asked whether to prosecute a former president based on the same facts today, I would do so regardless of whether that president was a Republican or a Democrat.”
Smith is also expected to state: “No one should be above the law in our country, and the law required that [Trump] be held to account. So that is what I did.”
The former prosecutor previously testified for more than seven hours before the committee on Dec. 17. Committee Chairman Jim Jordan’s staff later released a 255-page transcript of that deposition on New Year’s Eve, following Smith’s earlier appearance behind closed doors.
Trump addressed Smith directly during a press conference earlier this week, calling him “Deranged Jack ‘Sick’ Smith” and describing him as “a sick son of a bitch.” Trump added, “He’s a sick guy.”
The hearing is scheduled to begin at 10:00 a.m. ET. A live video stream of the proceedings is available here.
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