"On Dec. 17, Smith testified for nine hours in a closed-door session with the House Judiciary Committee regarding his investigations into President Donald Trump's efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election and the retention of classified materials at his residence at Mar-a-Lago. Criminal charges were filed against Trump in both cases but he avoided prosecution due to longstanding DOJ policy against indicting a sitting president."
"Smith had repeatedly offered to testify publicly but the GOP-majority committee declined. His legal counsel sent a letter to Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) on Dec. 24 demanding the prompt public release of the full videotape of his testimony. As pointed out by Politico senior legal affairs reporter Kyle Cheney, Smith was barred from discussing any nonpublic parts of his classified documents probe by Judge [Aileen] Cannon's order prohibiting DOJ from divulging any nonpublic info about it."
"In Smith's opening statement, as previously reported on by the Associated Press, he declared that his office's investigation developed proof beyond a reasonable doubt that President Trump engaged in a criminal scheme to overturn the results of the 2020 election and to prevent the lawful transfer of power and also developed powerful evidence that showed that President Trump willfully retained highly classified documents after he left office in January of 2021, storing them at his social club, including in a ballroom and a bathroom."
The House Judiciary Committee released a 255-page, partially redacted transcript of former Special Counsel Jack Smith's deposition. Smith testified nine hours on Dec. 17 about probes into efforts to overturn the 2020 election and retention of classified materials at Mar-a-Lago. Criminal charges were filed in both matters, but DOJ policy prevented indicting a sitting president. Smith offered to testify publicly but the GOP-majority committee declined, and his counsel demanded release of the videotape. A court order by Judge Aileen Cannon barred disclosure of nonpublic aspects of the classified-documents probe. Smith said the investigation developed proof and powerful evidence of wrongdoing.
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