A 255-page transcript of Special Counsel Jack Smith’s testimony to Congress was released publicly on New Year’s Eve, revealing sweeping conclusions about former President Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election and his handling of classified documents.
In sworn testimony, Smith said his investigation developed “proof beyond a reasonable doubt” that Trump engaged in a criminal scheme to overturn the election results and prevent the lawful transfer of power.
Smith also testified that Trump willfully retained highly classified documents after leaving office in January 2021, storing them at his Mar-a-Lago social club, including in a ballroom and a bathroom. Smith said Trump repeatedly attempted to obstruct justice to conceal his continued possession of the materials.
The testimony directly rebutted claims by Trump and his allies that the investigation was politically directed. Smith said President Joe Biden never instructed him regarding the investigation and never spoke to him about it.
Smith devoted significant attention to the events of Jan. 6, 2021, which he described as “an attack on the structure of our democracy.” He noted that more than 140 law enforcement officers were assaulted during the attack on the U.S. Capitol and that more than 160 defendants later pleaded guilty to assaulting police.
According to Smith, as the violence unfolded, Trump and his associates contacted members of Congress in an effort to delay certification of the election results.
“I did not choose those Members,” Smith testified. “President Trump did.”
Smith said Trump was “by a large measure the most culpable and most responsible person” in the conspiracy to overturn the election. The crimes, he said, were committed for Trump’s benefit, and the Capitol attack would not have occurred without him.
The transcript sheds new light on the scope and conclusions of Smith’s investigation, which Republicans had sought to keep confidential. Its release comes as Trump, now president, continues to deny wrongdoing related to both the election and the classified documents.
Jack Smith breaks it down and tells US what really happened.