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, confirmed in a Fox News Channel interview that Smith would appear before the panel on Jan. 22. Smith's office later confirmed the upcoming hearing.
This won't be Smith's first appearance; he previously testified behind closed doors to the committee. The transcript of that private deposition revealed that he stated the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol “does not happen” without Trump's involvement.
Smith led investigations into Trump’s accumulation of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago and his attempts to challenge the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election after his loss to Democrat Joe Biden. These investigations culminated in indictments, which were halted following Trump's election win in November 2024, based on legal opinions from the Justice Department against indicting a sitting president.
Lanny Breuer, one of Smith's attorneys, expressed last week that Smith has been ready and willing to answer questions during a public hearing regarding Trump's alleged unlawful actions to overturn the election and mishandling of classified documents.
Trump has characterized the Justice Department's actions as a politically motivated attack against him as he vies for a return to the White House.
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