Jack Smith Defends Trump Investigations in Public House Judiciary Committee Testimony

Former Special Counsel Jack Smith Testifies Before House Judiciary Committee

Former Special Counsel Jack Smith appeared publicly before the House Judiciary Committee on Thursday, January 22, 2026, to address his investigations into former President Donald Trump. This marked Smith's first public testimony on the matters, following a closed-door deposition held on December 17. The hearing, held at the U.S. Capitol, saw Smith robustly defend his team's work and decisions, which led to two federal indictments against Trump.

Defense of Investigations and Allegations of Political Bias

During the contentious hearing, Smith maintained that his investigations were conducted without political bias. He stated, 'I made my decisions in the investigation without regard to President Trump's political association, activities, beliefs or candidacy in the 2024 presidential election.' Smith asserted that charges were brought against Trump 'because the evidence established that he willfully broke the law — the very laws he took an oath to uphold.' He further declared that his investigation developed 'proof beyond a reasonable doubt that President Trump engaged in criminal activity.'

The testimony largely focused on two key areas:

• The 2020 Election Interference Case: Smith's probe into allegations that Trump attempted to subvert the outcome of the 2020 presidential election. Smith defended his team's decision to obtain toll records for phone calls made by Trump-allied lawmakers, describing it as a 'common practice' necessary to understand the 'scope of the conspiracy.'
• The Classified Documents Case: The investigation into Trump's retention of sensitive government documents after leaving the White House in 2021.

Partisan Divide and Case Outcomes

The hearing unfolded along partisan lines, with Republican lawmakers, including Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), questioning Smith's conduct and suggesting political motivations behind the investigations. Democrats, conversely, largely defended Smith's integrity and the thoroughness of his work.

Both federal cases against Donald Trump ultimately concluded after his victory in the November 2024 presidential election.

• The classified documents case was dismissed by a federal judge in Florida, who ruled that Smith's appointment was unlawful. The Justice Department subsequently abandoned its appeal following Trump's re-election.
• The election interference case was dropped by Smith, citing Justice Department regulations that prohibit the prosecution of a sitting president.

Smith also expressed his expectation that the Trump Justice Department might attempt to indict him, but firmly stated, 'I will not be intimidated.' He warned that attacks on civil servants involved in such investigations threaten the rule of law in the United States.