Jack Smith tells senators he stands by charging Trump at heated hearing
Republicans accused the former special counsel of targeting their party; Democrats called the hearing a smokescreen.
WASHINGTON — Former special counsel Jack Smith defended his two criminal investigations of President Trump on Tuesday before the Senate Judiciary Committee, telling senators he stands by his decision to bring charges and that his team found proof beyond a reasonable doubt.
Smith said his work followed Justice Department policy and would have been the same no matter the party of the person involved. He said Trump has threatened him with jail and that he would not be silenced by threats of prosecution.
Republicans on the attack
Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley called Smith's office a partisan weapon and accused it of trying to map out and target the Republican Party, pointing to subpoenas for phone records of members of Congress and GOP donors. Sen. Ted Cruz asked Smith whether it is a crime to be a Republican; Smith said no. Smith said lawmakers were not told about the subpoenas because prosecutors feared evidence could be destroyed.
Democrats push back
Ranking Democrat Dick Durbin called the criticism a smokescreen meant to distract from Trump's conduct. Smith's cases, over the 2020 election and classified documents, never went to trial; he dropped both after Trump won the 2024 election, citing the department's policy against prosecuting a sitting president.
Sources
This article was written by Statevane from the reporting and official sources linked above. Spot an error? Tell us.