Jack Smith to Face Congress on Jan. 22 — Republicans Set to Expose Weaponized DOJ Schemes

January 13, 2026 —

WASHINGTON, D.C. — In a watershed moment for accountability and the rule of law, former Special Counsel Jack Smith will appear publicly before the House Judiciary Committee on January 22 to explain his two failed federal prosecutions of President Donald J. Trump — cases that crumbled under constitutional scrutiny and political pressure.

Republican members of Congress, led by Judiciary Committee Chairman Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), formally announced Smith’s scheduled testimony on Jan. 12, setting the stage for what conservatives are calling a long-overdue airing of the weaponization of the Department of Justice and the federal court system.

Jack Smith — appointed by then-Attorney General Merrick Garland during the waning days of the Biden administration — brought two high-profile federal cases against Donald Trump:

• A classified documents indictment tied to Trump’s conduct after leaving office.

• A Jan. 6 election interference case alleging Trump sought to subvert the peaceful transfer of power.

Both prosecutions never made it to trial and were effectively dismissed or dropped amid constitutional challenges and Trump’s 2024 election victory.

On the classified documents matter, a federal judge ruled Smith’s appointment violated the Constitution’s Appointments Clause, leading to dismissal of the charges in July 2024.

In the Jan. 6 case, the U.S. Supreme Court’s presidential immunity ruling forced prosecutors to narrow charges, and ultimately Smith dropped the case outright days after Trump’s decisive win in November 2024 — a stunning rebuke to the entire Biden-era prosecution strategy.

Republicans believe Smith’s testimony will finally expose how DOJ career prosecutors and political appointees used federal power to try to derail a political opponent rather than pursue equal justice under the law.

Leading the charge, Chairman Jordan has said the hearing will present “the facts” and illuminate how Washington institutions have been weaponized against political rivals — framing Smith’s indictments not as impartial justice, but as part of a broader strategy to influence an election and intimidate conservatives.

Smith previously testified for more than eight hours in a closed-door Judiciary Committee deposition in December 2025, where he insisted his team “had proof beyond a reasonable doubt” in both cases. But his claims failed to stop both prosecutions from collapsing — first with the constitutional dismissal of the classified documents case, and then with the Supreme Court conferring immunity protections that left the Jan. 6 indictment in tatters.

Democrats criticized Republicans for demanding more transparency, but Republicans argued that Smith’s private session raised more questions than it answered, intensifying calls for a public hearing.

Smith’s Jan. 22 testimony represents a chance to hold the DOJ accountable for conduct many view as political weaponization rather than pursuit of justice. The hearing comes amid broader GOP efforts to reform federal prosecutorial powers and rein in what they see as unchecked power in Washington.

President Trump, who has repeatedly denounced the investigations as politically motivated attacks, has welcomed the hearing — framing it as vindication and a platform to further expose the partisan roots of Smith’s prosecutions.

As the country braces for what could be one of the most consequential Congressional oversight hearings in recent memory, conservatives are poised to spotlight deep flaws in the federal justice apparatus that, in their view, nearly succeeded in upending the will of the voters in 2024.