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, stated in a Fox News Channel interview on Monday night that Smith would appear before the panel on Jan. 22. A spokesman for Smith confirmed the committee hearing on Tuesday.
Previously, Smith had already testified behind closed doors before the committee. A transcript from that private deposition reveals that Smith told lawmakers that the January 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol “does not happen” without Trump’s involvement.
Smith led investigations into Trump’s retention of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, and his attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election after losing to Democrat Joe Biden. Both investigations led to indictments that were eventually set aside after Trump’s victory in the November 2024 presidential election, with Smith citing Justice Department legal opinions prohibiting the indictment of a sitting president.
One of Smith’s lawyers, Lanny Breuer, mentioned in a recent statement, “Jack has been clear for months he is ready and willing to answer questions in a public hearing about his investigations into President Trump’s alleged unlawful efforts to overturn the 2020 election and his mishandling of classified documents.”
In return, Trump has claimed that the Justice Department has been weaponized against him as he seeks to reclaim the White House.
Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, the Republican chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, stated in a Fox News Channel interview on Monday night that Smith would appear before the panel on Jan. 22. A spokesman for Smith confirmed the committee hearing on Tuesday.
Previously, Smith had already testified behind closed doors before the committee. A transcript from that private deposition reveals that Smith told lawmakers that the January 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol “does not happen” without Trump’s involvement.
Smith led investigations into Trump’s retention of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, and his attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election after losing to Democrat Joe Biden. Both investigations led to indictments that were eventually set aside after Trump’s victory in the November 2024 presidential election, with Smith citing Justice Department legal opinions prohibiting the indictment of a sitting president.
One of Smith’s lawyers, Lanny Breuer, mentioned in a recent statement, “Jack has been clear for months he is ready and willing to answer questions in a public hearing about his investigations into President Trump’s alleged unlawful efforts to overturn the 2020 election and his mishandling of classified documents.”
In return, Trump has claimed that the Justice Department has been weaponized against him as he seeks to reclaim the White House.
