Former special counsel Jack Smith will testify publicly at a House Judiciary Committee hearing later this month, Judiciary chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) announced Monday.
Why it matters: Smith, who testified privately to the panel in December, has sought an open forum to defend his investigation into President Trump from Republican attacks.
- "Mr. Smith steadfastly followed Justice Department policies, observed all legal requirements, and took actions based on the facts and the law," the ex-special counsel's lawyers wrote in a letter to the panel last month.
Driving the news: Smith will testify at a hearing on the morning of Jan. 22, Jordan announced in a press release Monday night.
- He previously told the panel in closed-door testimony that that evidence his probe gathered found Trump was "the most culpable and most responsible person" for the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.
- Smith also said his investigation into Trump's handling of classified documents unearthed "powerful evidence" that Trump willfully retained the materials and tried to obstruct justice.
