Former special counsel Jack Smith defends decisions to charge Donald Trump

Former special counsel Jack Smith told a Senate panel that he stands by his decisions to charge Donald Trump. ABC News reported that Smith defended his actions before the committee. The testimony comes after Smith concluded his work overseeing the federal prosecutions involving the former president. [1]

The hearing sparked sharp exchanges among lawmakers on the panel. According to The Hill, Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Chuck Grassley defended his record following calls from committee Democrats for Republicans to apologize to Smith over their treatment of the former special counsel. Politico reported that Grassley criticized Democrats for rushing to defend Smith, while noting that his team is working to release withheld documents from an earlier hearing. [2][4]

Smith served as a Department of Justice special counsel from November 2022 until his resignation in January 2025. He previously headed the Department of Justice Public Integrity Section, where he supervised public corruption and election crime cases. Smith also served as the chief prosecutor at the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague. [5][8]

Congressional oversight of the special counsel investigations continues as Senate leaders debate the disclosure of related records. Politico reported that committee staff are preparing additional documents for public release following the panel hearings. [4]