January 1, Jack Smith Pushes For Open Capitol Testimony

Wyatt’s Take

• Jack Smith wants to testify in public hearings before Congress
• He says his investigation of Trump has been mischaracterized
• House and Senate Republicans demand answers on phone record subpoenas

Jack Smith, the former special counsel, is asking to testify in open hearings before both the House and Senate Judiciary Committees. His attorneys sent letters to Chairmen Jim Jordan and Chuck Grassley, saying Smith wants a chance to address public concerns about his investigations into President Trump.

“Given the many mischaracterizations of Mr. Smith’s investigation into President Trump’s alleged mishandling of classified documents and role in attempting to overturn the results of the 2020 election, Mr. Smith respectfully requests the opportunity to testify in open hearings before the House and Senate Judiciary Committees,” Smith’s lawyers said.

Smith’s legal team says he followed proper rules during his work and is prepared to answer questions, but needs assurance from the Justice Department. They mention he requires instructions on what he can discuss, especially parts of his final report that are not public.

They also point out Smith can’t answer fully without access to certain files he no longer controls.

House Judiciary Chairman Jordan recently asked Smith for a private interview and all records about his Trump investigations. At the same time, Senator Grassley and nearly two dozen other Republicans want the Justice Department to release documents about Smith’s subpoenas on phone records of GOP lawmakers.

Smith’s team reportedly tracked the phone calls of several Republican senators and a representative during a probe tied to January 6. Records were collected from phone companies to see who lawmakers called and where.

An FBI official confirmed Smith collected this data, focusing on calls around the time of the Capitol unrest. The claims are that this was related to certifying the election results.

Smith defended his actions as “entirely proper” and said the data collection was narrowly limited to a few days in January 2021.

After investigating for months, Smith charged Trump in D.C. over the 2020 election, but dropped the case after Trump became president again. Judge Tanya Chutkan approved the dismissal.

The investigation cost taxpayers over $50 million.

Senator Grassley said, “Jack Smith certainly has a lot of answering to do, but first, Congress needs to have all the facts at its disposal. Hearings should follow once the investigative foundation has been firmly set, which is why I’m actively working with the DOJ and FBI to collect all relevant records that Mr. Smith has had years to become familiar with.”

Jordan’s office hasn’t commented yet.

If you want to know more, read the full details here:

Jack Smith requests public testimony over Trump investigations

Wyatt Matters

Middle America wants answers when government officials dig into our elections and track lawmakers. Having sunlight on these high-powered decisions keeps Washington honest and puts everyday Americans first.