Former Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith told the Republican-led House Judiciary Committee that his investigative team developed “proof beyond a reasonable doubt” that President Donald Trump criminally conspired to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.
Smith made the statement during a closed-door appearance before the committee on Wednesday, where lawmakers questioned him about the high-profile federal investigations he led during the Biden administration. Portions of Smith’s opening remarks were later obtained by multiple media outlets.
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According to those accounts, Smith said prosecutors assembled “powerful evidence” showing that Trump unlawfully sought to block the peaceful transfer of power after losing the 2020 race to Joe Biden. The Associated Press reported that Smith told lawmakers his team’s findings met the legal threshold required to establish a criminal scheme.
Smith also defended the indictments he brought against Trump in 2023, saying they were fully supported by the evidence his office uncovered. Those charges accused Trump of attempting to overturn the election results and obstruct the certification of electoral votes, tied directly to the federal investigation into the events surrounding January 6, 2021.
While emphasizing the strength of the case, Smith did not lay out specific evidence during the closed session. He cited legal constraints protecting grand jury material and other sensitive investigative sources. Smith also stressed that his decisions were apolitical, telling lawmakers he would have pursued the same actions “without regard to President Trump’s political association, activities, beliefs, or candidacy in the 2024 election.”
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The closed-door format was not Smith’s preference. He had initially offered to testify in a public hearing, but House Republicans instead issued a subpoena requiring him to appear privately. Smith complied, providing testimony and documents as requested.
Trump, who returned to the White House in 2025 after winning the 2024 election, has consistently denied wrongdoing. He has labeled Smith’s investigation politically motivated, accused the former special counsel of misconduct, and publicly demanded open testimony rather than a private deposition.
Despite the indictments filed in 2023, the cases were dropped after Trump’s reelection. Longstanding Justice Department policy prohibits the prosecution of a sitting president, meaning the allegations and evidence were never tested in open court. As a result, many of the claims outlined by Smith remain unresolved publicly.
Following Trump’s return to office, his administration opened an investigation into Smith in August, alleging violations of the Hatch Act, which restricts political activity by government employees. Senate Intelligence Committee chair Tom Cotton echoed those accusations, telling the Huffington Post, “Jack Smith’s actions were clearly driven to hurt President Trump’s election, and Smith should be held fully accountable.”
Smith has not publicly responded to the Hatch Act allegations, but his testimony this week underscores the continuing political and legal fallout from the investigations tied to the 2020 election and its aftermath.
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