Jack Smith defends investigations into Trump during tense US Senate hearing

Former United States special counsel Jack Smith firmly defended his criminal inquiries into President Donald Trump during a contentious Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, pushing back against assertions from Republican lawmakers that his office acted out of political bias.

Testifying on Capitol Hill, Smith told the panel that his work adhered strictly to Justice Department guidelines and was rooted entirely in gathered evidence. He rejected accusations that partisan motives drove the decision to prosecute Trump, who became the first American president to face criminal indictments. Smith stated that the probe uncovered proof beyond a reasonable doubt showing Trump carried out serious crimes against the country.

A former war crimes prosecutor based in The Hague, Smith was selected in 2022 to conduct independent inquiries into Trump's actions following his initial term in the White House. The investigations led to two federal indictments in 2023: one concerning attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election outcome and another regarding the retention of classified government records. Trump faced two additional state-level indictments in New York and Georgia, though only the New York prosecution involving falsified business records went to trial and yielded convictions. Following Trump's victory in the 2024 presidential election, the remaining matters were dropped in accordance with Justice Department guidelines against prosecuting a sitting commander-in-chief, and Smith stepped down from his post in January 2025.

During Tuesday's proceedings, Republican senators zeroed in on Smith's prosecutorial tactics. Lawmakers sharply questioned his decision to subpoena telephone records linked to members of Congress and examine financial details from conservative entities and contributors. Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley alleged that investigators used the process to map out and single out the Republican Party.

Smith countered that investigators had an obligation to track relevant facts wherever they led. Addressing the congressional phone logs, Smith clarified that the data showed call times and lengths rather than the substance of conversations. He noted that the records were vital to verify interactions between Trump's allies and legislators aimed at delaying the certification of the 2020 election results. When Texas Senator Ted Cruz questioned why lawmakers received no advance notification of the subpoenas, Smith explained that prosecutors feared evidence destruction or interference. He also affirmed that his team coordinated with the Justice Department's Public Integrity Section beforehand.

Smith also accused the current administration of punishing personnel who took part in the federal investigations. He argued that staff members had been dismissed simply for carrying out their official duties, an issue that has already triggered a lawsuit from three dismissed FBI agents seeking their jobs back.

Framing the current climate as an unprecedented threat to the legal system, Smith remarked that the rule of law faces unique modern pressures, adding that he would not be intimidated by ongoing warnings of prosecution directed at him.