Washington D.C. – Former Special Counsel Jack Smith, who previously led two federal criminal investigations into President Donald Trump, has been subpoenaed to testify before a congressional committee later this month. The hearing will be held behind closed doors.
Representative Jim Jordan, the Republican chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, issued the subpoena to Smith on Wednesday, compelling him to appear on December 17th. Smith had initially requested to testify publicly, but the committee opted for a private session instead.
Smith’s investigations centered on Trump’s alleged mishandling of classified documents after leaving the White House and his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election, which he lost to Democrat Joe Biden. Neither case proceeded to trial. Following standard Department of Justice policy regarding sitting presidents, Smith dropped both investigations after Trump’s victory in the November 2024 presidential election.
President Trump addressed the subpoena, calling Smith a “thug” and a “nasty man” during a press briefing at the White House yesterday. He stated he would prefer to see Smith testify publicly, adding, “I’d rather have him testify publicly, because he won’t be able to answer the questions” from the committee.
Since assuming office for a second term, Trump has urged the Department of Justice to pursue cases against Smith and other political opponents.
Representative Jamie Raskin, a leading Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, criticized the Republican’s decision to bar Smith from public testimony. “What are our colleagues so afraid of that they will not allow the American people to hear from him directly?” he said in a statement.
“The American people deserve to hear the full truth about Mr. Smith’s years-long effort to investigate and hold accountable Donald Trump and his co-conspirators for their crimes,” Raskin added.
Smith’s attorney, Peter Koski, also expressed disappointment that his client would not be allowed to testify publicly. “Approximately six weeks ago, Jack offered to appear voluntarily before the House Judiciary Committee,” he stated in a release to American media outlets.
