1. United States
2. Texas
3. Letter

Jack Smith, former special counsel for the U.S. DOJ was called to a closed-door hearing before the House Judiciary Committee today. He wanted to appear in a public hearing for obvious reasons but Chairman Jim Jordan said no. But we the people have been given some excerpts from his opening remarks. “Our investigation developed proof beyond a reasonable doubt that President Trump engaged in a criminal scheme to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election and to prevent the lawful transfer of power.” In his statement, Smith asserted that Trump was charged despite — not because of — the politics involved.  “I made my decisions in the investigation without regard to President Trump’s political association, activities, beliefs, or candidacy in the 2024 presidential election,” he said. “We took actions based on what the facts and the law required — the very lesson I learned early in my career as a prosecutor.” While Smith said the decision to charge Trump was his alone, “the basis for those charges rests entirely with President Trump and his actions, as alleged in the indictments returned by grand juries in two different districts.” “If asked whether to prosecute a former President based on the same facts today, I would do so regardless of whether the President was a Republican or Democrat,” he added. Smith’s also addressed subpoenaing phone records of nine GOP lawmakers who were closely involved in Trump’s attempt to block the electoral vote count on January 6, 2021.  “[Phone] records were lawfully subpoenaed and were relevant to complete a comprehensive investigation. January 6 was an attack on the structure of our democracy in which over 100 heroic law enforcement officers were assaulted. Over 160 individuals later pled guilty to assaulting police officers that day. Exploiting that violence, President Trump and his associates tried to call Members of Congress in furtherance of their criminal scheme, urging them to further delay certification of the 2020 election. I didn’t choose those Members; President Trump did.” Smith also defended the raid on Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence, which revealed the president had been storing classified materials. “Our investigation also developed powerful evidence that showed President Trump willfully retained highly classified documents after he left office in January 2021, storing them at his social club, including in a bathroom and a ballroom where events and gatherings took place. He then repeatedly tried to obstruct justice to conceal his continued retention of those documents.” Mr. Smith would appear to be exactly the kind of civil servant America should hope for. Instead he will be pilloried and insulted and denigrated for doing the job he was required to do. Just because what he revealed was not acceptable to the man who was being investigated. Who happened to become president. Justice should be justice for all, right? We the people look forward to hearing more details from Mr. Smith’s inquisition.