Overview
- In letters to Chairs Jim Jordan and Chuck Grassley, Smith asked to testify in open House and Senate Judiciary hearings to rebut what his lawyers call mischaracterizations of his Trump investigations.
- His legal team says he needs DOJ guidance on grand jury secrecy, authorization to discuss the still-sealed Volume II of his final report, access to Special Counsel files, and assurances he will not be punished for testifying.
- Republicans are pressing oversight after disclosures that investigators subpoenaed historical telephone toll records for several GOP lawmakers for Jan. 4–7, 2021; Smith’s lawyers say the data contained no call content and was lawfully obtained.
- Jordan previously sought a closed-door interview, while Grassley says public hearings should follow once DOJ and FBI provide requested records; Democrats, including Jamie Raskin, urge accepting Smith’s public testimony offer.
- Smith’s prosecutions against President Trump ended after the 2024 election under DOJ policy on sitting presidents, the Mar-a-Lago report’s second volume remains sealed, and an independent ethics review of Smith by the Office of Special Counsel is ongoing.