Senate GOP to press Jack Smith on Trump Jan. 6 probe as DOJ targets investigators

WASHINGTON — Former special counsel Jack Smith told senators Tuesday that he would not be silenced “by continued threats of prosecution” over his handling of the investigation into President Donald Trump. Smith appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee amid the Justice Department’s push to target law enforcement officials involved with his investigation into Trump’s efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss in the lead-up to the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, as well as the probe into his handling of classified documents after he left office in January 2021. Smith, who brought two since-dismissed federal criminal cases against Trump, said in his opening statement that he stood by his decision to bring charges against Trump, which was the result of a deep investigation that uncovered substantive evidence.