Jack Smith tells Congress he wants to testify publicly

Former special counsel Jack Smith is asking that he be allowed to appear publicly after House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) demanded his testimony.

“Given the many mischaracterizations of Mr. Smith’s investigation into President Trump’s alleged mishandling of classified documents and role in attempting to overturn the results of the 2020 election, Mr. Smith respectfully requests the opportunity to testify in open hearings before the House and Senate Judiciary Committees,” his attorneys wrote in a letter to Jordan.

Jordan requested a transcribed, closed-door interview with Smith earlier this month, accusing Smight and his team team of launching “politically motivated prosecutions” into Trump and trying to “silence” him during the campaign.

Smith’s effort to appear publicly would require the blessing of the Justice Department, with his attorneys saying he would need guidance so that he doesn’t violate any rules regarding grand jury secrecy. He would also likely be asked to answer questions about the Mar-a-Lago investigation. The special counsel's final report on that case has not been released.

“He is prepared to answer questions about the Special Counsel’s investigation and prosecution, but requires assurance from the Department of Justice that he will not be punished for doing so,” Smith's legal team said.

The public has heard little from Smith, but he recently came out with a strong defense of the case and criticism of the Trump Justice Department in an interview with former prosecutor Andrew Weissmann at University College London.

“The idea that politics played a role in who worked on that case, or who got chosen, is ludicrous,” Smith told Weissmann.

“The people on my team were similar to what I saw throughout the [Department of Justice] throughout my career,” he said. “Apolitical people who wanted to do the right thing and do public service.”

Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), the top Democrat on the panel, has urged Jordan to take him up on his offer.

Earlier this month, he noted that Jordan’s demand for all documents related to Smith’s work would finally uncover the Mar-a-Lago report that remains sealed, calling it “a welcome surprising twist.”

“Mr. Smith has made clear that he is prepared to address those allegations publicly,and I can think of no reason to deny the American people the opportunity to hear his testimony, under oath and with questioning from Members of both parties, and to let all Americans judge for themselves the integrity of Mr. Smith’s investigations,” Raskin wrote Thursday.

“There is no reason his appearance should be in the shadows of a backroom and subject to the usual tiresome partisan tactics of leak-and-distort.”