Ex-special counsel Jack Smith tells Senate panel 'I stand by' decisions to…
Smith, who led two Trump probes, appeared before the Senate Judiciary panel.
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Former special counsel Jack Smith mounted a vigorous
Former special counsel Jack Smith mounted a vigorous defense of his two criminal investigations into President Donald Trump Tuesday in testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee, as several Republicans suggested Smith himself should face prosecution.
"I stand by my decisions as special counsel
"I stand by my decisions as special counsel, including my decision to bring charges against President Trump. I made these decisions without regard to President Trump's political association, activities, beliefs, or candidacy in the 2024 presidential election," Smith said in his opening statement to the committee.
"If asked whether to prosecute a former President
"If asked whether to prosecute a former President based on the same facts today, I would do so regardless of whether that President was a Republican or a Democrat," he said.
Republicans repeatedly questioned Smith over his efforts to
Republicans repeatedly questioned Smith over his efforts to subpoena their records and other information surrounding the events of Jan. 6, 2021, while Democrats sought to use the hearing to revisit the gravity of the attack on the U.S. Capitol and the evidence Smith's investigation uncovered detailing Trump's alleged efforts to take advantage of the violence to further delay certification of President Joe Biden's election victory.
Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, pressed Smith over
Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, pressed Smith over whether his office unfairly sought to obtain financial information from GOP groups in his Jan. 6 probe.
"Yes, we acquired financial information," Smith responded. "As
"Yes, we acquired financial information," Smith responded. "As I sit here right now, I cannot recite to you every subpoena we issued. I can tell you why we issued subpoenas and it was to conduct a criminal investigation of one of the most serious crimes that has ever happened in our nation's history."
"Mr. Smith's operation was a partisan weapon that
"Mr. Smith's operation was a partisan weapon that broke the rules, lied to the court and engaged in bad faith throughout his operation and he has no credibility, only to the partisan media and Democrats that cheered him on as they will do today," Grassley said.
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, told Smith, "You have
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, told Smith, "You have done an enormous damage, and I believe your conduct represents the most egregious abuse of power in the history of the Department of Justice," while Sen. Cory Booker countered that Republicans' efforts are "gas lighting the American people" by "continuing to perpetuate the big lie in America that Donald Trump was somehow cheated out of a 2020 election."
After Grassley named several of Smith's colleagues in
After Grassley named several of Smith's colleagues in his opening statement, Smith said he fully stood by their work and called it an "outrage" that many of them have been fired or otherwise politically targeted for their work.
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Ex-special counsel Jack Smith tells Senate panel 'I stand by' decisions to charge Trump
Smith, who led two Trump probes, appeared before the Senate Judiciary panel.
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Source: ABC News