Jack Smith Tells Lawmakers His Team Developed ‘Proof Beyond a Reasonable Doubt’ Against Trump

WASHINGTON, DC – DECEMBER 17: Former Special Counsel Jack Smith (C) arrives to testify during a closed-door deposition before the House Judiciary Committee in the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill on December 17, 2025 in Washington, DC. Smith was appointed independent special counsel by Attorney General Merrick Garland in 2022 to oversee two criminal investigations into former President Donald Trump’s role in the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol and mishandling of classified documents. Both cases were eventually dismissed and Trump went on to win his second presidential election in 2024. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Former Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith has told lawmakers in a closed-door interview his team “developed proof beyond a reasonable doubt” President Donald Trump criminally conspired to overturn his 2020 election loss. That’s according to portions of Smith’s opening statement obtained by The Associated Press on Wednesday. Smith says investigators had “powerful evidence” Trump broke the law by hoarding classified documents at his Florida estate from his first term as president and by obstructing government efforts to recover the records. Smith says decisions in the investigations were made without regard to consideration of Trump’s Republican candidacy in 2024. Trump has said he’d rather see Smith testify publicly.