Politics

Former Special Counsel Jack Smith to Testify Publicly Before House Judiciary Committee

Illustration for: Former Special Counsel Jack Smith to Testify Publicly Before House Judiciary Committee
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Jan 13, 2026

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Former special counsel Jack Smith is scheduled to testify publicly before the House Judiciary Committee on January 22, 2026. Committee Chairman Jim Jordan announced the hearing on Monday. This public appearance will follow a closed-door deposition Smith provided to the committee in December 2025, transcripts of which have since been released.

The committee is conducting an inquiry into the federal investigations Smith oversaw regarding President Donald Trump, specifically concerning the handling of classified documents and alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election. Republicans on the panel have characterized these prosecutions as "politically motivated." The two cases, which resulted in more than 40 federal charges, were concluded after Trump won a second term in November 2024.

According to the transcripts of his private testimony, Smith defended his investigative methods and denied any political motivation or involvement by the Biden administration. He asserted that he possessed sufficient evidence for a conviction and described Trump as the "most culpable" figure in the election interference case. Smith’s legal team indicated that the former special counsel had previously requested to speak in a public forum, though Chairman Jordan initially compelled a private interview via subpoena.

Representative Jamie Raskin, the top Democrat on the committee, welcomed the upcoming public hearing. Raskin criticized the Republican majority's initial insistence on a private deposition, stating their strategy had "backfired." Meanwhile, Republicans have continued to question Smith's tactics, including his team's acquisition of phone records belonging to members of Congress.

Same Facts. Different Perspectives.

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Perspective by Grok

• Inquiry into political motivation Republicans on the Judiciary Committee have characterized the prosecutions oversaw by Smith as "politically motivated." The committee is conducting an inquiry specifically into how the federal investigations regarding classified documents and the 2020 election were handled.

• Scrutiny of investigative tactics Members of the panel have continued to question the specific tactics employed by Smith's team during the probes. The committee has raised particular concerns regarding the acquisition of phone records belonging to members of Congress by investigators.

• Exercise of oversight authority Chairman Jim Jordan announced the public hearing as part of the ongoing inquiry, following a closed-door deposition in December 2025. The committee previously utilized its authority to compel Smith’s participation in that private interview through a subpoena.

How it may affect me

As a U.S. reader:

• You will have access to public testimony on January 22, 2026, providing a direct view of the evidence and arguments concerning the handling of classified documents and election interference.

• Ongoing scrutiny of how investigators obtained Congressional phone records may impact future regulations governing federal investigative tactics and data privacy boundaries for elected officials.

• The hearing allows you to evaluate specific evidence Smith claims to possess regarding election interference against Republican arguments that the prosecutions were politically motivated strategies.

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