WASHINGTON, DC: Former special counsel Jack Smith on Wednesday, December 24, urged House Republicans to release the full videotape of his closed-door testimony before the House Judiciary Committee, saying that the public should hear his remarks directly rather than through selective accounts.
Smith’s request was made in a letter obtained by CBS News and sent by his attorneys, Lanny Breuer and Peter Koski, to Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, a Republican from Ohio.
The demand followed Smith’s nearly nine-hour deposition before the GOP-led panel last week, during which he answered questions related to his investigations into President Donald Trump.
Jack Smith requests public release of testimony
In the letter, Smith’s attorneys asked for the prompt release of the full recording, arguing that transparency would prevent what they described as mischaracterizations of Smith’s testimony.
“Mr Smith respectfully requests the prompt public release of the full videotape of his deposition,” the letter stated. “Doing so will ensure that the American people can hear the facts directly from Mr Smith, rather than through second-hand accounts.”
The attorneys added that Smith welcomed the opportunity to testify and said that a full release of the video would help clarify the work of the special counsel’s office.
They wrote that Smith hopes the footage would “serve to correct the many mischaracterizations about the work of the Special Counsel’s Office.”
Jim Jordan says closed‑door interview ensured efficiency
Smith was subpoenaed by the Judiciary Committee as part of a broader Republican investigation into what the panel described as the “weaponization” of the Justice Department.
Chairman Jordan opted to conduct the interview behind closed doors rather than hold a public hearing, despite Smith previously offering to testify in an open setting.
According to reports citing leaked transcripts, Smith told lawmakers during the private session that his office had obtained “proof beyond a reasonable doubt” that Trump had “criminally” conspired to overturn the 2020 election results.
“The decision to bring charges against President Trump was mine,” Smith told the committee, according to those transcripts. “We took actions based on what the facts and the law required.”
Jordan has defended the committee’s process, saying that closed-door interviews allow lawmakers to gather information more efficiently before deciding what material should be released publicly.
Jack Smith stands by his actions as scrutiny continues
Smith’s attorneys emphasized in the letter that he continues to stand by the decisions made during his tenure as special counsel.
“During the investigation of President Trump, Mr Smith steadfastly followed Justice Department policies, observed all legal requirements, and took actions based on the facts and the law,” the attorneys wrote. “He stands by his decisions.”
The letter also renewed Smith’s request for an open and public hearing, indicating that he remains willing to testify again if the committee agrees to do so on camera.
The criminal cases brought by Smith were later dismissed following Trump’s election victory, ending the prosecutions but leaving broader political disputes over the investigations unresolved.
The Judiciary Committee has not publicly indicated whether it plans to release the full videotape of Smith’s testimony.
News
The crash of porcelain wasn’t just noise. It was a signal flare.
You hear the first crash like a gunshot dressed in porcelain.A plate explodes on marble, bright shards skittering under chandelier light like little knives of embarrassment.The room freezes mid-breath, the kind of silence that makes even rich people suddenly remember they have lungs.And in the middle of it stands a seven-year-old boy with his arm […]
I froze on the last step, barefoot on cold hardwood, my heart pounding so hard I felt like the sound alone could wake the whole house
The first thing I noticed was the way my father said my name. Not “Max.” Not “son.” Just: “Fitzpatrick.” It was 3:00 a.m., and the ring of my phone sounded like a fire alarm in the dark. I blinked at the screen, my throat already tight. “Dad?” His breath came in short, controlled bursts. “Are […]
No one inside the Wakefield mansion dared to say it out loud, but everyone felt it.
No one inside the Wakefield mansion dared to say it aloud, but everyone felt it. Little Luna Wakefield was fading away. The doctors had been clear—cold, almost mechanical—when they pronounced the number that hung in the air like a final sentence. Three months. Maybe less. Three months to live. And there was Richard Wakefield —a […]
My fingers dug into his wrist, but Jason’s grip only tightened. The kitchen light flickered over his knuckles as he snarled, “Obey me, you useless old woman! Go cook my dinner—NOW!”
My fingers dug into his wrist, but his grip only tightened. I tasted panic and iron as he roared, “Obey me, you useless old woman! Go cook my dinner—NOW!” Behind him, my daughter-in-law giggled like it was a show. I stared into my son’s eyes and realized the boy I raised was gone—replaced by something […]
The scream split the morning open like a siren.
The scream split the morning open like a siren. Agnes Rotic hit the stone courtyard hard, the cold jolting straight through her bones. One hand flew to her swollen belly before she even realized she’d moved, instinct louder than pain. Somewhere above her, a shadow shifted—silk, perfume, the sharp click of heels on stone—and then […]
My Blood Ran Cold Hearing Those Words. My Mother-In-Law Had Always Insisted They Were ‘Good Vitamins For Her Growth And Health.
Cold flooded my body despite the warm Tuesday afternoon light pouring through the kitchen window. Diane—my mother-in-law—had been staying with us for three weeks while recovering from knee surgery. She’d insisted on helping with Emma, saying she wanted to “bond” more with her granddaughter. She read her bedtime stories, brushed her hair, brought her little […]
End of content
No more pages to load
