From PBS NewsHour.

Former special counsel Jack Smith, who led investigations into President Donald Trump’s mishandling of classified documents and role in the Jan. 6 attack, made an opening statement Thursday in a hearing before the House Judiciary Committee.

"I made my decisions without regard to President Trump’s political association, activities, beliefs, or candidacy in the 2024 election," Smith said in his opening statement. "President Trump was charged because the evidence established that he willfully broke the law, the very laws he took an oath to uphold."

The hearing is an opportunity for the career prosecutor to publicly offer his inside perspective on the investigations, which both led to unprecedented indictments. Both were scuttled once it was clear that Trump would return to the Oval Office; Department of Justice policy prevents prosecution of a sitting president.

Republicans and the president have accused Smith of pursuing a politically motivated case against the president. Trump has denied wrongdoing while attacking Smith, calling him a "criminal" who ought to be investigated and "put in prison."

Smith defended his investigations in an hourslong closed-door meeting with lawmakers in December, saying he said he had "proof beyond a reasonable doubt" of what his investigations laid out. He’s denied accusations of bias.

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