In brief
Former Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith will publicly testify before the House Judiciary Committee on January 22 about his investigations into Donald Trump's handling of classified documents and efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election. This follows Smith's prior closed-door testimony, where he stated that the January 6 Capitol riot was influenced by Trump. Smith's investigations resulted in indictments that were ultimately halted due to Justice Department policies regarding sitting presidents. Trump's defense claims that he is facing a politically motivated prosecution as he seeks the White House again.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Former Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith is set to testify publicly next week about his investigations into President Donald Trump that resulted in two indictments.Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, the Republican chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, announced during a Fox News interview on Monday that Smith is scheduled to appear before the panel on January 22. A spokesperson for Smith confirmed the committee hearing on Tuesday.Smith had previously testified in a closed-door session with the committee, where a released transcript revealed that he stated the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol does not happen without Trump's involvement.Smith led the investigations into Trump’s storing of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, as well as his attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election following his loss to Democrat Joe Biden. The investigations culminated in indictments that were suspended after Trump's expected presidential election victory in November 2024, as Smith cited legal opinions from the Justice Department that prevent indicting a sitting president.Lanny Breuer, one of Smith’s lawyers, expressed last week that Jack is eager to publicly answer questions about his inquiries into Trump’s alleged unlawful actions related to the 2020 election and the mishandling of classified materials.Trump, on his part, has claimed that the Justice Department has been weaponized against him during his campaign to regain the presidency.
