Capitol Hill Braces for High-Stakes Deposition with Special Counsel Jack Smith on Unreleased Report

Capitol Hill Braces for High-Stakes Deposition with Special Counsel Jack Smith on Unreleased Report

Capitol Hill is preparing for a high-stakes deposition with Special Counsel Jack Smith, as House Democrats urge the Department of Justice to release the second half of his report on Trump's handling of classified information. Representative Jamie Raskin emphasized the importance of allowing Smith's complete work to speak for itself before the closed-door meeting with lawmakers. The unreleased portion of the report has sparked concerns among Democrats about its contents.

Smith submitted his final report to the attorney general in January following Trump's re-election in 2024. The Department of Justice previously released Volume I of Smith's report, which focused on the investigation into potential coordination by Trump to overturn the 2020 election. Volume II, which remains unpublished, delves into whether Trump unlawfully retained classified information during his first term.

Lawmakers are expected to question Smith about the collection of phone records from lawmakers as part of his investigation into Trump. Allegations suggest that Smith used the FBI to gather thousands of phone records without lawmakers' knowledge. Raskin anticipates that Republicans may use the closed-door hearing as a basis for potential prosecution against Smith, emphasizing the need for transparency in the process.

Republicans have cited a federal judge's order blocking the release of Volume II as a reason for the DOJ not publishing Smith's full report. The ongoing adjudication over the report's release has led to a standoff between Democrats and Republicans. The DOJ and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche have expressed concerns that releasing Volume II prematurely could lead to incomplete and partisan attacks on the president-elect.

Raskin has criticized the delay in releasing the full report, questioning the motives behind withholding information from the public. He believes that transparency is crucial in understanding the findings of the investigation. The debate over the publication of Smith's complete work continues to be a point of contention between the two parties, with implications for the future of the investigation and potential legal actions.