Jack Smith Opening Statement: "Trump Kept Illegal Classified Documents" Federal Criminal Cases| N18G

WATCH: Jack Smith testifies publicly about his Trump investigations | House Republicans LIVE | CNBC TV18
In his opening statement, Smith defended his decision as special counsel to indict Trump in two separate federal criminal cases.
“As I testify before the committee today, I want to be clear I stand by my decisions as special counsel, including the decision to bring charges against President Trump. Our investigation developed proof beyond a reasonable doubt that President Trump engaged in criminal activity," Smith said. He said if he were asked whether to prosecute a former president based on the same facts today, he would do so regardless of whether the president was a Democrat or Republican.
"No one should be above the law in this country, and the law required that he be held to account. So that is what I did," Smith said.
Jack Smith, the former special counsel who oversaw two investigations into President Trump that resulted in more than 40 federal charges, will testify publicly for the first time on Thursday at a hearing before the House Judiciary Committee.
The testimony comes as the committee probes Smith's actions during his time as special counsel in the Biden administration. Smith's investigations dealt with Mr. Trump's retention of sensitive government documents after leaving the White House in 2021, and his actions in the wake of the 2020 election. Both cases were brought to an end after Mr. Trump won a second term in November 2024. The president has denied any wrongdoing.
In December, Smith testified before lawmakers for more than eight hours at a closed-door deposition. He defended his investigations and said he was confident that he had sufficient evidence to convict Mr. Trump at trial. Smith also rejected suggestions that he sought to damage Mr. Trump's 2024 presidential campaign, and said he never spoke with President Biden nor the White House about his work.

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