Former special counsel Jack Smith, who secured two indictments against Donald Trump, said he is willing to testify before Congress in open hearings as long as the U.S. Justice Department commits “that he will not be punished for doing so.”
In a letter addressed to Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) and Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), the chairmen of the House and Senate Judiciary Committees, respectively, Smith’s lawyers said their client wants to publicly set the record straight on his prosecutorial work on the Trump cases.
“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.
Lawyers Lanny Breuer and Peter Koski defended Smith’s probes, saying that he followed longstanding DOJ guidelines.
Smith “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,” they added.
