Former Special Counsel Jack Smith defended his conduct before House lawmakers on Wednesday, insisting behind closed doors that politics had “no role” in the “investigations” and criminal charges he brought against President Donald Trump.
Smith appeared for a deposition with the House Judiciary Committee.
During the hearing, Republicans pressed Smith over his handling of the two federal cases targeting Trump.
One of the cases related to the 2020 election, and another was concerning the alleged retention of classified documents.
Portions of Smith’s opening remarks show the Biden administration prosecutor attempting to portray the cases as strictly legal decisions.
Smith told lawmakers:
“The decision to bring charges against President Trump was mine, but the basis for those charges rests entirely with President Trump and his actions, as alleged in the indictments returned by grand juries in two different districts.”
He continued: “If asked whether to prosecute a former President based on the same facts today, I would do so regardless of whether the President was a Republican or Democrat.”
Smith’s appearance comes amid mounting criticism from Republicans who argue he pursued aggressive legal strategies in an effort to undermine Trump’s comeback.
Those efforts, which clearly benefited the Democrats, included gag orders during Trump’s reelection campaign, efforts to fast-track proceedings, and subpoenas targeting phone data from GOP members of Congress.
The hours-long deposition is expected to probe those decisions in detail, particularly as House investigators continue examining what they contend is a pattern of political abuse within the Biden-era Justice Department.
Democrats, however, attempted to downplay the significance of the questioning.
Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) described the early portion of the deposition as “boring.”
Moskowitz told reporters there was “nothing exciting” unfolding inside the committee room.
Smith remains a central figure in the most controversial prosecutions ever brought against a president.
Critics argue that the cases were designed to interfere with the electoral prospects of President Trump.
Notably, Smith launched the cases shortly after Trump announced his bid to run for a second term in the White House.
The Judiciary Committee is expected to release further details from the deposition as its inquiry continues.
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