Former Special Counsel Jack Smith has notified the House and Senate Judiciary Committees that he wishes to hold a public hearing to address what he describes as the “many mischaracterizations” of his two investigations into former President Donald Trump.
The letter, sent by Smith’s attorneys on Thursday and obtained by Fox News, was addressed to House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa). It comes in response to congressional demands that Smith participate in a closed-door interview.
“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,” the letter states.
Smith’s attorneys emphasized that during the investigation, he “steadfastly adhered to established legal standards and Department of Justice guidelines,” consistent with his long-standing reputation as a dedicated public servant.
However, Smith also seeks assurances from the Justice Department that he “will not be punished” for testifying. Additionally, he has requested access to investigation-related documents that he no longer has.
“He is prepared to answer questions about the Special Counsel’s investigation and prosecution, but requires assurance from the Department of Justice that he will not be punished for doing so,” the attorneys explained. “To that end, Mr. Smith needs guidance from the Department of Justice regarding federal grand jury secrecy requirements and authorization on the matters he may speak to regarding, among other things, Volume II of the Final Report of the Special Counsel, which is not publicly available.”
The letter further states, “In addition, to provide full and accurate answers to your questions, Mr. Smith requires access to the Special Counsel files, which he no longer has the ability to access.”
Smith’s attorneys informed Jordan and Grassley that he would be available to testify in a public hearing “at your earliest convenience.”
Rep. Jamie Raskin (D), the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, praised Smith’s offer and urged Jordan to accept it.
“I can think of no reason to deny the American people the opportunity to hear his testimony, under oath and with questioning from Members of both parties, and to let all Americans judge for themselves the integrity of Mr. Smith’s investigations,” Raskin wrote in a letter to Jordan. “There is no reason his appearance should be in the shadows of a backroom and subject to the usual tiresome partisan tactics of leak-and-distort.”
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley responded by saying lawmakers must first have “all the facts” before Smith is permitted to testify publicly.
“Jack Smith certainly has a lot of answering to do, but first, Congress needs to have all the facts at its disposal,” Grassley said in a statement to The Post. “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 had years to become familiar with.”
At the time of publication, Jordan’s office had not responded to requests for comment. The Department of Justice also declined to comment.
Last week, Jordan described Smith’s investigations as “partisan and politically motivated prosecutions” against Trump in a letter to the former special counsel. He argued that Smith’s closed-door testimony is essential to understanding the “full extent to which the Biden-Harris Justice Department weaponized federal law enforcement.”
https://nypost.com/2025/10/23/us-news/former-special-counsel-jack-smith-asks-to-testify-publicly-on-trump-investigations/