Jack Smith wants Congress to release his closed-door testimony on Trump’s cases
Former federal prosecutor who brought a pair of federal criminal cases against the president Donald Trump He wants his testimony on congressional cases to be made public while he is out of office.
Former Ministry of Justice special advisor jack smith He spent nine hours testifying behind closed doors before the House Judiciary Committee about his efforts to prosecute Trump for allegedly illegally hiding secret documents from his first term at his Palm Beach, Florida, estate and for illegally trying to overturn the 2020 election results, which he lost to Joe Biden.
Despite a request from Smith’s lawyers to be allowed to testify in open session, the Republican-led panel demanded that Smith appear for a closed-door deposition as part of efforts to undermine expunged criminal cases against the president.
Now Smith’s lawyers have asked Republican Judiciary Committee chairman Jim Jordan to allow the videotaped image of Smith to be “immediately made public”; They said their client “welcomed” this as an opportunity to “correct many mischaracterizations” about their work.
“Mr. Smith respectfully requests that the entire videotape of his testimony be made public immediately. Doing so will allow the American people to hear the facts directly from Mr. Smith rather than through secondhand accounts,” they said.
Jack Smith answered questions from House members for nine hours earlier this month and now wants his testimony made public. (AP)
They added that they reiterated their demand for an “open and public hearing” for further testimony.
An investigation is also being launched against Smith, who has long been targeted by Trump and his allies for the incident during the Biden administration, which they believe weaponized the justice system against Republicans. Special Legal ConsultancyAn independent federal agency that maintains the government’s merit system by investigating allegations of misconduct and protects employees when reporting.
It is separate from the Justice Department office, where Smith’s special counsel status comes from.
The agency is investigating Smith for allegedly violating the Hatch Act, which prohibits federal employees from engaging in political activity. He launched the investigation at the behest of Republican Tom Cotton, an Arkansas Senator and close ally of the president who was considered to become Secretary of Defense after last year’s election.
The investigation into Smith is the latest step in the president’s revenge campaign against those he believes unfairly targeted him for political reasons. Trump has used his power as president to prosecute people, revoke security clearances, and target businesses and institutions.
Ariana Baio contributed reporting
