Jack Smith Asks to Testify in Public on Trump Cases

Jack Smith is asking to take his defense of his investigations of Donald Trump out of closed rooms and into public view. In a letter sent Thursday to GOP House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan, attorneys for the former special counsel said Smith wants to testify in an "open and public hearing" about his handling of two criminal cases brought against Trump, Axios reports. Smith is under investigation led by House Republicans and faces the possibility of prosecution by the Justice Department, which has labeled his work abusive and politically driven. Smith's lawyers, Lanny Breuer and Peter Koski, wrote that he followed Justice Department rules and based his decisions solely on "the facts and the law," adding that he stands by his actions.

Smith testified in a closed-door session this week that investigators assembled "proof beyond a reasonable doubt" of Trump's participation in a criminal conspiracy to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. In the letter, Smith's attorneys also asked that the full recording of his private testimony be released. Democrats argue that keeping Smith's appearances secret is an attempt to distort his testimony. The panel's top Democrat said Smith should be able to speak publicly, per Politico. "I think somebody should prepare Donald Trump for it, because he will be devastated and humiliated by what he hears," Rep. Jamie Raskin said.