The time has finally come.
Former special counsel Jack Smith is scheduled to testify publicly on January 22, marking the first time Americans will hear directly from the prosecutor about his investigations involving President Donald Trump.
The hearing was announced late Monday by the House Judiciary Committee, following months of tension between Smith and Republican lawmakers. Committee leaders had previously declined Smith’s requests for a public appearance, opting instead for a lengthy closed-door deposition late last year.
That private session lasted more than seven hours. According to transcripts later released by committee Republicans, Smith stated that—based on the same evidence—he would again choose to pursue charges against Trump.
Smith oversaw two major federal investigations. One centered on events related to January 6, 2021, while the second focused on classified documents discovered at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, Florida. Both cases were eventually dropped after Trump returned to office.
In prepared remarks shared with lawmakers, Smith claimed his decisions were not political. He asserted that his actions would have been the same regardless of party affiliation and emphasized that the charges stemmed from Trump’s conduct as alleged by grand juries in multiple jurisdictions.
Additional deposition transcripts released on New Year’s Eve revealed that Smith was still considering potential charges against other individuals connected to the January 6 investigation when Trump was reelected. Long-standing Justice Department policy discouraging prosecution of a sitting president ultimately led Smith to abandon the case entirely.
Smith also acknowledged that, had the case proceeded to trial, prosecutors planned to rely heavily on testimony from Trump supporters and former allies rather than political opponents. According to Smith, several witnesses had voted for Trump, worked on his campaign, and supported his reelection efforts.
While Smith released his report related to January 6 before former President Joe Biden left office, a separate report tied to the Mar-a-Lago investigation remains sealed. That delay stems from ongoing legal challenges, despite charges against Trump’s former co-defendants being dismissed.
President Trump has filed suit to prevent the release of that report. The case is currently before Aileen Cannon, who has indicated the document could be released in the coming months but approved a longer review timeline requested by Trump’s legal team, allowing for additional legal objections.
Republicans say the upcoming public testimony could shed new light on an investigation many conservatives argue was driven more by politics than impartial law enforcement.