Former special counsel Jack Smith to testify publicly on Trump probes
Jack Smith, the former special counsel for the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), will testify publicly before a House committee later this month on the two criminal cases he led against President Donald Trump.
Rep. Jim Jordan (Ohio), the Republican chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, announced Tuesday that Smith will appear before the panel publicly on Jan. 22.
The announcement represents a significant reversal: Jordan previously denied Smith’s request to speak publicly about his investigations into Trump’s efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election and the president’s mishandling of classified documents after his first term.
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Instead, Smith defended his investigations in a closed-door hearing last month.
During that hearing, the former special counsel said he believed that his election interference probe “developed proof beyond a reasonable doubt that President Trump engaged in a criminal scheme to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election and to prevent the lawful transfer of power.”
Smith’s investigations into Trump resulted in two separate indictments containing 44 different criminal charges in total. However, both cases were dismissed in 2024.
Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has described the former special counsel as a criminal and all but ordered the DOJ to investigate him.