Jack Smith's Testimony on Trump's Alleged Election Scheme

Former special counsel Jack Smith testified before Congress, asserting he has substantial evidence that Donald Trump engaged in a scheme to overturn the 2020 election results. According to NBC News, Smith claimed his team found "proof beyond a reasonable doubt" of Trump's criminal actions.

He stated that Trump not only attempted to obstruct justice regarding classified documents but also incited violence during the January 6 attack on the Capitol, where over 100 law enforcement officers were assaulted.

During his closed-door hearing with the House Judiciary Committee, which was led by Republican Jim Jordan, Smith expressed that his prosecution decisions were made without regard to Trump's political standing.

He emphasized that the basis for the charges was solely rooted in Trump's actions. Smith confirmed that his investigations led to two indictments against Trump, one for election interference and another for mishandling classified documents.

However, both cases were dropped after Trump's 2024 election win, adhering to Justice Department policies against prosecuting a sitting president. Smith defended his decisions against accusations of political bias, stating that if given the same circumstances, he would pursue prosecution regardless of the president's party affiliation.

Democratic lawmakers criticized the closed nature of the hearing, arguing that it should have been public for transparency, with Rep. Jamie Raskin suggesting it would have been devastating for Trump. Smith's testimony also aimed to clarify mischaracterizations of his work, particularly regarding the legality of obtaining phone records from certain Republican members of Congress, which he stated was relevant to a comprehensive investigation.