Jack Smith testifies: House judiciary committee hearing on Trump investigations
TOI GLOBAL DESK | TOI GLOBAL | Jan 22, 2026, 18:47 IST
In a high-stakes showdown, Special Counsel Jack Smith prepares to take the stand before the House Judiciary Committee. With a resolute commitment to hold Donald Trump accountable for alleged election interference and the careless handling of classified documents, Smith faces a barrage of Republican challenges while Democrats eye potential explosive revelations.
Former Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith is set to testify before the House Judiciary Committee on Thursday, facing intense scrutiny from Republican lawmakers regarding his investigations into Donald Trump. The hearing is expected to highlight the two criminal cases that have been central to Trump's 2024 presidential campaign. Smith previously testified behind closed doors last month and will now appear publicly, with the proceedings anticipated to be sharply divided along partisan lines. Republicans aim to challenge Smith's actions, while Democrats hope to elicit further damaging testimony about Trump's conduct.
Smith will affirm his commitment to the decisions made as special counsel to bring charges against Trump. These charges involve allegations of conspiring to overturn the 2020 presidential election and unlawfully retaining classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate.
“Our investigation developed proof beyond a reasonable doubt that President Trump engaged in criminal activity,” Smith will state, according to his opening statement obtained by 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.\"
“No one should be above the law in our country, and the law required that he be held to account. So that is what I did,” Smith will convey to the committee.
The hearing occurs amidst what is described as a retribution campaign targeting investigators who examined the former president. The Justice Department has reportedly dismissed lawyers and employees who worked with Smith. Additionally, an independent watchdog agency overseeing federal employee political activity has initiated an investigation into Smith.
Smith expressed his views on the terminated members of his team.
“In my opinion, these people are the best of public servants, our country owes them a debt of gratitude, and we are all less safe because many of these experienced and dedicated law enforcement professionals have been fired,” Smith will say.
Jack Smith was appointed in 2022 by the Biden administration's Justice Department to lead investigations into Donald Trump. These investigations resulted in indictments against Trump. However, the cases were later paused by Smith and his team after Trump secured the presidency, due to established Justice Department legal interpretations that prohibit the indictment of sitting presidents.
The House Judiciary Committee hearing will be presided over by its Republican chairman, Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio. Jordan has characterized Smith's investigations as the culmination of efforts to prevent Trump from returning to the White House.
“Tomorrow he’ll be there in a public setting so the country can see that this was no different than all the other lawfare weaponization of government going after President Trump,” Jordan stated, echoing a common assertion made by Trump, who has pleaded not guilty to all charges and denied any wrongdoing.
During his private deposition last month, Smith strongly refuted suggestions from Republicans that his investigation was politically motivated or intended to disrupt Trump's presidential campaign. He asserted that the evidence clearly indicated Trump's actions were at the core of a criminal conspiracy to subvert the election he lost to Joe Biden, as well as the events of January 6, 2021, involving the riot at the U.S. Capitol.
“The evidence here made clear that President Trump was by a large measure the most culpable and most responsible person in this conspiracy,” Smith declared.
“These crimes were committed for his benefit. The attack that happened at the Capitol, part of this case, does not happen without him. The other co-conspirators were doing this for his benefit.”
Smith is also anticipated to address inquiries concerning his team's examination of phone records. These records belong to more than six Republican members of Congress who communicated with the president on January 6, 2021. The data obtained from these records includes information about the participants in the calls and their duration, but not the content of the conversations.
It is unlikely that Smith will present new details regarding his investigation into classified documents. A report detailing his team's findings remains under seal, as ordered by Judge Aileen Cannon, who was appointed by Trump. Trump's legal team has recently petitioned the court to permanently prevent the release of this report.
Smith will affirm his commitment to the decisions made as special counsel to bring charges against Trump. These charges involve allegations of conspiring to overturn the 2020 presidential election and unlawfully retaining classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate.
“Our investigation developed proof beyond a reasonable doubt that President Trump engaged in criminal activity,” Smith will state, according to his opening statement obtained by 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.\"
“No one should be above the law in our country, and the law required that he be held to account. So that is what I did,” Smith will convey to the committee.
The hearing occurs amidst what is described as a retribution campaign targeting investigators who examined the former president. The Justice Department has reportedly dismissed lawyers and employees who worked with Smith. Additionally, an independent watchdog agency overseeing federal employee political activity has initiated an investigation into Smith.
Smith expressed his views on the terminated members of his team.
“In my opinion, these people are the best of public servants, our country owes them a debt of gratitude, and we are all less safe because many of these experienced and dedicated law enforcement professionals have been fired,” Smith will say.
Jack Smith was appointed in 2022 by the Biden administration's Justice Department to lead investigations into Donald Trump. These investigations resulted in indictments against Trump. However, the cases were later paused by Smith and his team after Trump secured the presidency, due to established Justice Department legal interpretations that prohibit the indictment of sitting presidents.
The House Judiciary Committee hearing will be presided over by its Republican chairman, Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio. Jordan has characterized Smith's investigations as the culmination of efforts to prevent Trump from returning to the White House.
“Tomorrow he’ll be there in a public setting so the country can see that this was no different than all the other lawfare weaponization of government going after President Trump,” Jordan stated, echoing a common assertion made by Trump, who has pleaded not guilty to all charges and denied any wrongdoing.
During his private deposition last month, Smith strongly refuted suggestions from Republicans that his investigation was politically motivated or intended to disrupt Trump's presidential campaign. He asserted that the evidence clearly indicated Trump's actions were at the core of a criminal conspiracy to subvert the election he lost to Joe Biden, as well as the events of January 6, 2021, involving the riot at the U.S. Capitol.
“The evidence here made clear that President Trump was by a large measure the most culpable and most responsible person in this conspiracy,” Smith declared.
“These crimes were committed for his benefit. The attack that happened at the Capitol, part of this case, does not happen without him. The other co-conspirators were doing this for his benefit.”
Smith is also anticipated to address inquiries concerning his team's examination of phone records. These records belong to more than six Republican members of Congress who communicated with the president on January 6, 2021. The data obtained from these records includes information about the participants in the calls and their duration, but not the content of the conversations.
It is unlikely that Smith will present new details regarding his investigation into classified documents. A report detailing his team's findings remains under seal, as ordered by Judge Aileen Cannon, who was appointed by Trump. Trump's legal team has recently petitioned the court to permanently prevent the release of this report.