Jack Smith, who used to be the Special Counsel, has agreed to come before congressional committees to talk about his investigations into Donald Trump. However, he’s asking for protections from the Department of Justice (DOJ) to ensure he won’t face any retaliation for his testimony. Recently, U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan opened up parts of Smith’s classified-documents report for congressional review. In light of this, the House Judiciary Committee has set a public hearing for November 18. Smith’s legal team is currently working on getting those immunity safeguards sorted with DOJ officials.
This decision from Smith comes after constant misrepresentations of his findings related to election interference and national security breaches. According to his attorneys, “In light of the numerous mischaracterizations surrounding Mr. Smith’s investigation into President Trump’s alleged mishandling of classified documents and his attempts to overturn the 2020 election results, he now formally requests a chance to testify at the hearings held by the House and Senate Judiciary Committees.”
The team also emphasized that Smith is ready to answer any inquiries concerning the Special Counsel’s investigation and legal action, but he needs to ensure that the DOJ will protect him from any form of punishment.
Although Smith has already sent his election-subversion report to Congress, some parts remain protected by judicial limitations. Representative Jamie Raskin (D-MD) has publicly supported the push for Smith’s transparent testimony.
Raskin remarked, “Mr. Smith has clearly expressed his readiness to address these accusations in a public setting. I cannot think of a justification for denying the American public the chance to hear his sworn testimony and allow everyone to make their own judgments on Mr. Smith’s investigative integrity.”
He further criticized the idea of holding Smith’s appearance in private, stating, “There’s absolutely no reason for this to happen in secret, subject to the usual political tactics of leaking and distorting information.”
It is worth noting that President Trump has consistently claimed that Smith is driven by political motivations, something Smith has strongly denied. He affirmed, “The suggestion that politics played any role in selecting people for that case is outrageous.”
This piece was produced with the help of content partner Modern Newsstand LLC.
