House Judiciary Committee Releases Video and Transcript of Jack Smith Deposition

The House Judiciary Committee released video and transcripts from a closed-door deposition with former special counsel Jack Smith, offering new insight into his handling of high-profile investigations involving President Donald Trump.

The deposition, conducted earlier this month and lasting more than eight hours, focused on Smith’s leadership of two criminal probes: one into the handling of classified documents and another examining efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election. Smith told lawmakers the decision to bring charges was his alone and said the evidence presented to grand juries was based on Trump’s actions.

Republican lawmakers on the committee criticized the investigations as a misuse of the justice system, raising particular concerns about Smith’s decision to subpoena phone toll records from members of Congress. Smith defended the move, saying the records were critical to establishing a clear timeline and demonstrating intent. He emphasized that toll records do not include the content of phone calls.

Smith also addressed constitutional concerns related to the Speech or Debate Clause, stating his team consulted Justice Department experts and followed legal guidance. He said non-disclosure orders were necessary due to what he described as a serious risk of obstruction of justice.

During the deposition, Smith rejected claims of political bias, testifying that he never spoke with Joe Biden about the investigations and would have handled the cases the same way regardless of the political affiliation of the subject. He also said he did not seek out the special counsel role and accepted it only because he believed he was qualified to do the job.

Smith testified that he had not yet finalized decisions on charging alleged co-conspirators in the election interference case before the investigation ended. He confirmed that several Trump associates, including Rudy Giuliani, sat for interviews. Smith said Giuliani later disavowed some of the voter fraud claims he publicly promoted.

The former special counsel became emotional while discussing prosecutors and FBI agents who were fired for their work on cases related to the January 6 Capitol riot. Smith said those individuals were dedicated public servants who were punished simply for doing their jobs.

Smith also reiterated that he remains willing to testify publicly, saying he wants the opportunity to defend his team’s work and correct what he called mischaracterizations.

Explore: NBCPalmSprings.com, where we are connecting the Valley.