House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan said he plans to invite former special counsel Jack Smith to testify publicly about his investigations into President Donald Trump, a move that would bring renewed scrutiny to probes that Republicans have long criticized as politically driven.
According to a source familiar with the matter, Smith could appear before the committee as soon as this month. The announcement comes after Smith spent more than seven hours behind closed doors testifying to the panel, where he maintained that his case against Trump was strong and based on the president’s actions rather than political animus.
While Jordan had not ruled out public testimony from Smith, the Ohio Republican previously declined repeated requests from the former prosecutor to testify openly. The decision to now move forward with a public hearing signals a shift as Republicans seek to put Smith’s work and conclusions directly before the American people.
The development was first reported by Politico and follows the long-standing tradition of special counsels appearing publicly after submitting their final reports. Smith’s investigation into the events of Jan. 6, 2021, was released before Trump returned to office. However, Smith’s report related to the Mar-a-Lago documents case remains tied up in an ongoing legal dispute, as Trump continues to oppose its release.
Democrats were quick to praise Smith and criticize Republicans for previously insisting on a closed-door deposition. Rep. Jamie Raskin said the private testimony “backfired in historic fashion” for the GOP, claiming it only reinforced Smith’s assertions.
“Smith’s testimony confirmed that his office had a rock-solid case, based on irrefutable evidence,” Raskin said, arguing that Trump engaged in a criminal scheme related to the 2020 election and the handling of classified documents. Raskin insisted that Republicans failed to undermine Smith during the lengthy deposition and said that outcome would not change in a public setting.
Jordan’s team released the full 255-page transcript of Smith’s closed-door testimony on New Year’s Eve, giving the public a look at the former prosecutor’s answers and arguments. Throughout the deposition, Smith repeatedly said he believed the evidence he gathered supported prosecution.
In opening remarks to the committee, Smith said he would have pursued the case regardless of Trump’s political affiliation. “If asked whether to prosecute a president based on the same facts today, I would do so regardless of whether the president was a Republican or Democrat,” Smith told lawmakers.
Republicans, however, have argued that Smith’s investigations represent an unprecedented use of prosecutorial power against a sitting president and have raised questions about timing, scope, and decision-making throughout the process. Jordan and other GOP lawmakers have framed the upcoming public testimony as an opportunity for transparency and accountability, particularly given the national impact of Smith’s actions.
A public appearance by Smith would place him directly under the glare of televised questioning, offering lawmakers from both parties a chance to revisit the most contentious aspects of his work. For Republicans, the hearing is expected to focus on the origins and conduct of the investigations. For Democrats, it is another chance to defend Smith and his conclusions.
With Smith potentially set to testify publicly for the first time, the hearing is shaping up to be a high-profile political and legal showdown with major implications for congressional oversight and the ongoing debate over the use of special counsels in highly charged political cases.
